The Price of Forever
by Miss Whoniverse
Summary: Bella finally convinces Edward to change her into a vampire. How will she look? What will her power be? How will she, Edward, and the rest of the Cullens handle her changes? And what unexpected visitors could ruin it all? R&R. COMPLETE! XD
1. Chapter 1

I was quite sick of his behaviour, to be honest. Edward was such a procrastinator; putting off my transformation for as long as possible.

"Tell me what you think is so wrong about me becoming like you," I murmured in his ear suddenly as he stroked my hair. For some reason, totally unbeknownst to me, Edward had a strange passion for my hair. "I want to be with you for eternity. We have discussed this, you _will _do it..."

Silence.

"Don't you want me?" I asked, very quietly. My lips barely moved, and I was boring a hole into his head with my eyes.

I had been putting off bringing this up since the wedding, and I felt instantly bad about playing the guilt card at him as soon as I said those four words, but the edge in my voice spawned from my existing doubt of him really wanting me forever. I was officially Mrs Cullen, despite my hesitation to marry, and he was supposed to give be the kiss of... immortality... as repayment. Not that I would ever, _ever _admit it to him; I was thoroughly enjoying being his wife, albeit a non-vampire one, so really if I enjoyed my "sacrifice" and he was going to hate his, it wasn't really a fair trade, so really he could cancel if he knew. Not really how deals work, it's true, but being Edward he would get his way eventually and the deal would tilt in his favour as always... my rambling doesn't make sense to anyone but me. But that doesn't matter. Nobody else (luckily) hears my thoughts...

Grr. That's not the point. Shut up, brain!

I stared at him, returning to the present. His face was unreadable; but he couldn't keep the unease from creeping into his eyes. Too late, he turned away, studying the rising moon out his window to hide his face.

I watched him for a minute, then sat up glumly. He turned back to me and exhaled slowly. He smelled so irresistible... I was effectively totally in his power. I couldn't stay annoyed with him for long, which itself only served to annoy me further.

He took a breath. "Actually, I was planning on doing it tonight," he told me slowly. "But my resolve melted quite fast." He smiled apologetically... too sincerely.

I arched one eyebrow in response. He was avoiding the original question, but the conversation would have led this way, to his feelings about the actual act of changing me, in any case, so it didn't annoy me too much. I knew I had patience enough to defeat him at his waiting skirmish. Maybe. Well, no. I would just get mad, and if I kept waiting for him to give up and change me, he never would, and then I'd be in my twenties; something I would definitely not tolerate.

To my surprise, his defences fell after several minutes of cool staring. "Alright... you win." his eyes, the lightest they'd been for a long time, danced warmly. Then he grew sombre, quickly. Disturbingly. "You're not going to enjoy this if I do it. It's-" he faltered, searching for the right words for his warning. Unsuccessful, he just sighed. "It's very, very intense. Painful, almost unbearable. It will be horrible for you, and, not wanting to steal your spotlight, but horrible for all of us to see you like that." I understood. He meant that he was going to be in nearly as much pain as me. But he didn't want to say that exactly.

He took a deep breath. "Now?" he asked, his voice so faint I bet _he _could barely hear it. His stillness was infectious and I began to grow anxious. I nodded, not trusting my voice to obey me. I lay back down and closed my eyes, suddenly very aware of my heartbeat against my ribcage. I could tell he was too. I savoured my pulse, my warmth; because this seemed very abrupt... moments ago we were just spending another night together as normal, and now he was about to change me. So sudden. I would never feel my heart thump again after I 'died.' No way was I going to stop him, though... I couldn't. I would not be able to summon the courage up for a second attempt.

I felt him settle – as much as he could in the circumstances – next to me and his head was pressed against mine. I felt his cool cheek against mine for what could be the last time. I tried not to think about the real risk of having Edward do it for me – but I was loathe to have anyone's venom but his inside me. It felt like a bond; stronger than marriage – I would truly be _his_, through and through. His very own vampire.

For eternity.


	2. Chapter 2

Edward descended on my neck.

He kissed me gently on my throat, again, again, brushing across my neck, his lips skimming across my skin, drawing goose bumps, as he searched for a point of entry that would make this go faster for me. He seemed to find a spot that he was... not _happy_ with, but was adequate. He murmured something so low and tortured that I could not distinguish the words, but I had the feeling that he said... goodbye.

Then I felt it coming. I was aware of his agony at being the one to put me through the next few days, coming out of him with almost physical strength, and I knew I shouldn't really brace myself for what was about to come, but it didn't matter that I tried. My muscles were just beginning to consider tensing up when I felt a crescent-shaped knife pierce my soft skin, so suddenly, so _deep_, and I felt the agonising poison from his teeth soak into the wound with instant strength.

I jumped violently, a knee-jerk reaction, but didn't cry out. My brain was just beginning to register the pain, and ordering me to struggle against Edward, when his head whooshed upwards and I opened my eyes long enough to glimpse fevered eyes looking at me. They were so tortured and full of despair at that there was no turning back, that it broke my heart. I saw as his lips parted involuntarily as his held breath expelled in a ragged, choking wail, louder than my thoughts. He descended with inhuman speed to repeat the process to my wrists and ankles to spread the poison, soak in the venom, and drain the blood.

He stood and there wasn't even an infinitesimal strain of lust for my blood showing on him. He was radiating self-loathing as he stared at me. We were both splattered with my blood. I gritted my teeth as he wiped my blood off his mouth and bent to kiss me one last time before it hit.

I clenched my jaw and squeezed my eyes shut, preparing for what I could never be prepared for ... as my veins caught fire.

I screamed. I didn't even have the strength, after only moments of energy-sapping pain, to open my mouth wide enough to get to full volume, but I screamed and Edward bellowed, a snarling, despairing roar as he collapsed beside me, trying to comfort me as I contorted with pain. My spine arched further than it should as my whole being rejected this burning torture. Worse was that I knew this was only the beginning. My screams lost their air and I had to take a shuddering, incredibly painful breath to choke out another wail of agony.

Edward was shaking, his body wracked with sobs as he found no way to comfort me. He had to restrain me as I thrashed against this existence. I just wanted to die! For it to be gone! I fought back against the venom but my body was completely overpowered. My energy levels had dipped into the negatives and it was only the pain keeping me conscious. I couldn't scream anymore but the pain destroying my body from the inside out only intensified. My wild eyes and suddenly limp, drained body woke Edward up from his anguish.

"CARLISLE!" he howled at the top of his lungs. Then he looked at me and shuddered again, clenching his whole body as he shared my pain. "CARLISLE!" came the wretched shriek again. "HELP HER... TRANSFORMATION... C-" he choked, unable to continue and he wrapped his arms around my body, cooling the fire and allowing me to breathe.

Carlisle burst in frantically after several unendurable moments of painful hyperventilation that felt far too long, clutching an oversized and almost comical morphine needle. He was suddenly at my side, and he even did that squirt with the needle and flicked the tube before injecting me - none too gently; obviously under the correct impression that I didn't need to be gentled right now. I would have laughed at his stereotypical performance had I not been desperately gasping for air and clinging onto consciousness for what felt like dear life.

As my agitation subsided, and the pain finally numbed, I let my mind sink away and unconsciousness wrapped a welcome and no longer resisted rug around me. Edward relaxed by about a molecule and kept me in an Emmett-worthy bear hug of wonderful ice as the fire began it's work.


	3. Chapter 3

I woke up screaming soundlessly and began to thrash with renewed vigour. Edward suddenly was by my side and Carlisle followed quickly. I watched thankfully as Carlisle, more carefully this time, injected me with yet more morphine. Edward tucked himself around me, and I allowed myself to be leaning completely on him. It was a nice feeling; or it would have been if it wasn't for the raging flames within me that were still as fuelled as ever. My heart thumped hard, but somehow... distantly. I knew fully that this was the last time either of us would ever hear it.

The next time I woke up; I flinched as a burst of fire ripped through me from my scalp to my soles. I prepared myself for the next roll of flame... but it never came. Instead; I felt strange as the fire lifted itself away, draining out of my skin as a gust of freezing cold took its place. The boiling to freezing sensation left me confused for a moment. Then it dulled and an overwhelming feeling of _nothing_ breezed through me. _Nothing. _No pain. I sighed happily, vaguely aware of the fact that I didn't need to breathe anymore, but I did anyway.

I still hadn't opened my eyes and I did so slowly. The clarity of everything I saw amazed me! Everything was totally unique in colour, no two objects exactly the same shade... I noticed, amused, that the carpet/curtain scheme in Edward's room _did _match totally... no difference whatsoever in shade. I giggled, lightheaded, as I thought about how I would be able to pick things up like that now. I was dazed and acting silly.

I suddenly heard a murmur outside the room, and while being suddenly surprised I could hear that well, I was able to distinguish a faint "She just condemned herself to an eternity of death, and she's laughing? Insane." Rosalie's voice.

"What's going on? She stopped yelling and moving around. Is she dead?" Emmett. I chuckled to myself as the others scuffled with him. I pictured them trying to attack him, and him flicking them carelessly out of a window. I burst into laughter again.

Everyone hushed at the sound of my laughter. I listened intently, not breathing – though it didn't make a difference anyway.

Emmett growled, sounding annoyed. "Edward, go check on her! See your new girlfriend." I heard obedient steps toward my door, then Carlisle's voice calling them back. "Let her rest," murmured the vampire doctor quietly.

I sat up, now noticing how springy the mattress was. I'd never noticed before exactly how soft and buoyant the mattress was. I could feel individual springs inside it and smiled to myself at my heightened senses.

"Enough!" boomed Emmett exasperatedly, as I listened, bemused. "Edward, you're going in there whether you like it or not!" and ignoring his cry, Emmett proceeded to... what was he doing? I couldn't make sense of the sounds outside my – Edward's – door.

It all made sense then, as Edward's body came crashing through the wall next to my door; leaving a hilariously Edward-shaped hole in the wall. Edward flew towards me and even with my new reaction speed, I couldn't get out of his way. He rammed into me and we both catapulted off the bed in a confused tangle. I landed flat on my back with Edward on top of me, his head on my chest. He raised it, gazing fearfully at me, worried I had broken. When I grinned at him he relaxed, planting a kiss on 

my lips. I would have responded in kind had a squealing Alice not been deposited on top of Edward, after having been thrown in through the hole my Emmett as well. Edward didn't react, his golden, smoldering eyes focussed on my... whatever colour they were eyes.

Emmett _could_ have just opened the door and come in by himself by now but no. He was enjoying himself too much now. He rounded up everyone (Edward was the only one who could have outrun him but a Edward wouldn't have run from me and b he had been taken by surprise and couldn't have run), one by one, and threw them in. Jasper also landed on our perilous stack-up and we swayed dangerously. Edward wasn't going anywhere and neither was I, so we all just stayed there in our tower. Rosalie was missiled in next, for once not complaining about her hair or makeup (as if she needed makeup). I vaguely heard Esme gasp as Emmet slung her and Carlisle on his shoulders and fly in himself.

They landed on the bed, surveying us. I decided it was time to see my family, so I sat up calmly, without any effort at all. Edward's eyes widened in shock as he was rolled off me, and mirrored expressions occupied Jasper and Alice's faces as they tumbled off too. I grinned impishly at my ease.

"You and your newborn strength," murmured Carlisle, still slightly disgruntled at Emmett.

Alice jumped up and attached herself to me. I stared at her as she wrapped herself into me koala style. She seemed amused that I wasn't even fazed by having her complete weight hanging off me. She started chanting.

"I have a new sister, a sister, I have a new sister, haha, YAY, a new _sister!!"_ she called, interspersed with giggles.

Jasper came over and gave me an unexpected hug. "Welcome to the family, in every way!"

"A sister, a _sister, _yay for having a new SISTER, a sister-" It was so cute... I laughed along with everyone else as she continued her little song. Everyone was still for a moment, then spontaneously converged.

There was a group hug, with Alice and I stuck inside it. She thrust her head above everyone else's to continue singing.

"A SISTER, MY NEW LITTLE SISTER NAMED BELLAAAAAA-"

As everyone broke out of the hug, Jasper stuck his arms out expectantly under Alice, who promptly fell off me into his arms. I burst into laughter as her voice continued singing about me as Jasper carried her away down the stairs. Everyone followed, arm in arm with their respective lovers.

It felt complete.


	4. Chapter 4

"Which reminds me," I said suddenly in the lounge room; remembering. "Emmett? You owe me an arm wrestle."

He blanched. I smiled, all my anxious thoughts about seeing my reflection and being thirsty replaced by playfulness with my new big brother. Everyone suddenly was shoving Emmett, forcing him to the table where I had planted my elbow firmly. He groaned as he took his place in front of me. "GO BELLA!" hooted Jasper and Edward, grinning hugely. Emmett, in mock sadness at Jasper's traitorous deed, looked at the girls for help. They stared.

Suddenly Rosalie's face broke into a grin. "Come on, Bella! Show him what you've got!" My face lit up (visibly I'm sure) at her friendliness, and Alice started muttering that Emmett had nothing on me.

I turned back to face him. He looked nervous. It felt insane that_ I_ was making the giant bear of a vampire _Emmett _nervous. My confidence wavered as my non-competitive side poked me. How was I going to beat him? He was massive! My competitive side poked back, stronger.

I took his hand in mine, glaring playfully at him. He gripped hard, and Carlisle started the countdown. "Three... two... one... zero and a half... wait for it... aaaaand... FIGHT!" he yelled enthusiastically.

Emmett reacted instantly with a surprisingly low amount of force. I looked at him, surprised. He growled. "Come on, get this over with!"

"But you're not even trying! I thought you were going to play?" I questioned, my eyes surveying him. Then I noticed his muscles tense, straining, he had even broken a sweat.

Unbelievable! He was pushing as hard as he could! This monster, house-sized vampire was totally bent on forcing my hand down, and I could barely feel it! I tested my strength, retaliating very slightly downwards. He gave in a few inches, moaning, and I was stunned. I looked at my own feminine and non-impressive biceps and marvelled. I pushed harder, grinning, and his eyes bulged as I slammed his fist down... then our hands, strong with momentum, made rather a large hole in the table as my force broke the wood. I stared, releasing him, and looked up apprehensively at my family.

To my surprise, they were all grinning. I smiled too, amazed at my strength. Let's see Victoria try to mess with me now! Hah!

I remembered then that she was dead. Huh. My old memory really _was _flawed; from another life. I barely remembered a thing about before. You'd think I would remember something like that, though.

I stood up, filled with joy at my balance, and stretched my hands; interlacing my fingers then inverting them and stretching them out; but not hearing joints crack as I was used to. It made the stretch feel like it hadn't worked, so I tried again and stunned myself by going further than I had ever been able to and my fingers folded back into my hand with unimaginable flexibility. I stared at them and looked up as Edward laughed.

Esme suddenly seemed confused. She took my face in two gentle but firm hands and peered at me with unease. I nervously twitched my nose and bit my lip, making sure everything was there. She 

smiled at me to reassure me, but it faded as she continued to look into my eyes. Carlisle noticed whatever she had and exclaimed as he bent to peer at me too.

"What's the fuss about?" I grumbled, twisting my head uncomfortably. To my surprise, and Esme's, my movement broke her grip easily. I stomped over to the small mirror in one corner of the room where my things were. I studied my face carefully. No marks or bruises, circles under eyes faintly visible, golden eyes bright, hair brown, eyelashes and eyebrows perfect, lips full... I couldn't see what she apparently had.

I turned and walked back over to them, confused, and everyone gasped as they saw it as well. I frowned irritably.

"_What?_" I growled. "What is it? What's wrong with me??" I was confused and upset. Carlisle smiled. "Don't worry," he said. "This is a very good thing. Your eyes, they are gold!"

"Yeah? So?" I said, still annoyed. "So are yours!" He smiled again, patiently. Edward spoke, explaining.

"Normally when a vampire is born, they have blood red eyes and are frantic for blood. They go into a huge frenzy." He cocked his head at Carlisle, reading expert explanation straight from the doctor's mind. "Your major personality trait that you have carried seems to be an aversion to human blood. You won't have any problems controlling yourself around humans!" he relayed. "At least, you shouldn't."

I grinned widely. Sure, it wasn't something awesome like mind reading or telling the future, but my fears about killing people were solved. I'd have an even cleaner slate than Carlisle.

"I wonder what your power is. If you have one." Said Alice musingly. She cocked her head.

"What? Isn't that my gift? Resistance to blood?" I was confused again, and it was starting to get on my nerves.

"What? No, that's just your trait." Rose smiled. "You get a major personality trait or three, and if you're lucky, a power that is just a heightened ability of something human you did.

I wracked my brains for things I could do before.

"You always saw the beauty in everything," said Edward.

"You were resistant to vampire powers. Maybe... maybe... um..." trailed Esme, evidently not having any ideas.

"You were witty. Maybe you'll be a genius or see into the future or something," suggested Alice hopefully. I looked at her, grinning, then I saw her freeze. I stared as her eyes blanked out and she sagged ever so slightly. I waited for her trance, vision, to end so I could keep talking. She snapped back up with a gigantic smile on her face, looking at everyone in delight.

"I know what Bella's power is! It's wonderful!" she squealed.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own Twilight or anything. It's my plot though. But the rest is not mine sobs_

Everyone stared at her expectantly. She smiled irritatingly, loving her suspense.

In an instant, barely as soon as I decided to move, I was flying through the air. I rugby tackled her, surprising her, and we crashed into the couch and it tipped backwards, spilling us onto the ground. I held her firm around the belly as my family collapsed with laughter.

"Spit it out, Alice-_dear_," I told her cheerfully, making the rest of them laugh all the harder. She muttered irritably. I was amused by the fact that _I _had to watch myself not to hurt _her_ now, instead of the other way around.

"Alright!" she grumbled. "You know how... well..." I squeezed harder to make her talk. She glared at me, and her meaning was clear – let me up or I will have to kill you.

"Oh no, Alice-_dear_," I said, jumping up while still holding her. "You talk, I let go."

She looked amused in an annoyed way. I smiled angelically. She rolled her eyes.

"Fine. You know how you could always smell blood, even though humans aren't supposed to be able to? And you could hear us when we talked really fast and stuff?" Everyone nodded, staring. I loosened my grip unconsciously and she took that opportunity to wrench herself away from me. I made no move to stop her, and just stared. She smiled and continued.

"Well, it looks like you are going to have supervampire senses!" she grinned with glee, then calmed. "But it's weird, I also saw you doing that thing Jane does... only you were doing it to her. I don't get it." She broke off, clearly confused, as I revelled. I not only had two powers, but they were excellent ones!

Edward suddenly spoke up, looking surprised at what he'd come up with. "I think I get it! Your mind was re-enforced and no vampire could mess with it when you were human. Maybe that manifested and you can use a vampire's power back at him? Or use it while you channel it or something? Or tell if a vampire is using his power on you? If it's true we'd have to see how potent it is... see if you can get a power and keep it..." As soon as he finished, he looked embarrassed by his ramble, but also looked like he wanted to continue. I could tell he had a lot he wanted to speculate on.

Everyone was silent as they considered. Alice stiffened again, momentarily, as her eyes took on that familiar distant look, then she relaxed... but only slightly.

"Volturi," she snarled through gritted teeth. "In three seconds." As if on cue, the door knocked loudly once. Everyone's heads (including mine, for the first time) whipped around to stare towards the door. Esme, quiet as ever, glided towards the door and pulled it open slightly.

Jane, flanked by Felix and another unidentified vampire, cloaked and all, shoved inside. A row of five more followed silently. Jane hadn't seen me yet. She sniffed, and grinned wickedly.

"As we thought," said Jane coolly. "Bella is still human. She will be exterminated."

I surprised myself. Out of the depths of my chest, bursting out my mouth without my bidding, came a noise I had only ever heard vampires make. I let loose with a roar, complete with snarls and aggressive stance, that startled everyone except Edward, who smiled at me, then turned fiercely to Jane with a murderous expression. He growled at her. Jane saw me.

"You are not a human anymore?" said Jane, surprised. "Well..." then she assumed a look of nonchalant 'it-doesn't-change-anything-because-I'm-still-going-to-to-kill-you.'

Jane seemed slightly dubious, but Felix strode towards me, looking troubled. Evidently he didn't believe I was really a vampire, and wanted a closer look.

Emmett instantly blocked him off, but just as instantly was on the floor writhing as Jane's smile was turned on him. I jumped to Emmett to help, just as Felix took advantage of my distraction. He pounced, and he was _strong_. Even with my newborn strength, his hands gripped my neck, and it even hurt. He ploughed into me and we both flew back. He had been feinting at curiosity – he wanted me dead.

Then the person I least expected retaliated.

Rosalie, her pupils slitted and her mouth open to reveal razor sharp, pointed teeth, pounced onto Felix's back and began tearing at him.

"YOU DARE!" she screamed, as she succeeded in collapsing him as I rolled out of the way. "YOU _DARE_ ATTACK MY SISTER!"

Jane focused on her, and Rosalie jumped away nimbly. Jane's eyes simply followed and she began the attack. Rosalie clenched every muscle she had and cried out slightly as she fought against the pain.

No _way _was I allowing that.

With a shriek, I threw myself in front of Rosalie, skidding slightly, and looked at Jane. I _felt _Jane's energy trying to hurt me; I physically noted it flowing through the air. I released my mind to travel as a stream of energy, and encountered the flow. I closed my eyes, and directed my mind to twine itself around the flow, and bring it back to my body. Jane cried out as I took her power and then I sent it back with tripled force, closing my eyes and letting my mind direct the flow of stolen power. I kept a small amount for later, but it faded away almost instantly

I opened my eyes to the sight of Jane falling to the ground and screaming out. Felix leapt onto my back in an attempt to defend Jane and I stumbled, but didn't allow my mind to lose focus. I was going to torture that brat until I had paid back every second of pain she had ever dealt to my siblings. Rosalie plucked Felix off my back and tossed him through the window without much effort, then stood by my side as I ravaged Jane's mind.

As Jane writhed, I noticed suddenly an odour in the air... a tangy, fizzy sort of smell. For some reason, my brain labelled it as adrenaline. I turned and saw, with much surprise, that everyone else had been fighting the accompanied guard while Rosalie and I skirmished.

I looked for the source of the adrenaline. Vampires don't secrete many hormones, and adrenaline is saved for anxiety or radical fear. I caught sight of the source, and everything suddenly seemed to slow down and lose focus, except me and what I was looking at. It was Jasper, being bore down on by a cloaked figure. Jasper seemed terrified, and I couldn't see why. Was this vampire super strong or something? I started towards them and saw that the cloaked vampire had Jasper in a death grip, and was seemed to have murder on his mind. I stopped suddenly, wondering how Jasper, one of the best fighters I had ever seen, had allowed himself to be overpowered. I would have lost myself in thought was it not for the fact that I was _sure _Jasper had no hope.

I let out an enraged howl, and hurtled towards this cloak. Jasper struggled fruitlessly, crying out in pain, and I felt the incredible anger rise within me against the beast hurting my brother. Without pausing to consider the danger, I struck.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hai guys, I have introduced a bit of POV into it. D And in my stories, vampires CAN cry. **

**R&R OR YOU WONT GET ANOTHER CHAPTER OO**

**Disclaimer: **_You already know it! cries_

**Jasper POV:**

I was sure I was done for. My death had come, and it was wearing a cloak. I couldn't speak because I couldn't breathe. I longed to shout that I loved Alice, but the grip on my throat was too tight. Then, out of nowhere, as I stared at death, he received a shrieking Bella on his neck. She gripped his throat but didn't rip his head off as she should have. I felt an overwhelming surge of love for Bella, who was risking her life to help me. She had a wild, furious look in her eyes, and knowing it was because I was hurt made me feel wonderful, but worried for her. I was dropped unceremoniously to the ground as my attacker turned his attention to my sister. I rolled away against a wall, breathing hard, as I stared at Bella. I couldn't quite speak yet, and my mind was screaming at Bella to escape this monstrous fighter... but she couldn't hear me, and then it was too late for her to run as the beast got her. I looked around desperately for Edward, and thought at him as hard as I could.

_BELLA WILL BE KILLED. EDWARD! HELP HER!! EDWARD!_

Then it was too late.

**Bella POV:**

I leapt nimbly onto the huge vampire hurting Jasper, and closed my newborn (and therefore excellently strong) fingers around his thick neck. I screeched in his ear as a warning.

He heard. Growling, he dropped Jasper onto the floor (a long distance, with this vampire's height), and Jasper rolled away weakly, seemingly unable to speak. He curled against the wall, panting and staring at me as though trying to warn me... but I didn't understand. I lost my focus for one deadly second as I looked at my brother, and my victim became the attacker.

He, with incredible speed, swung his arms above his head, and fastened his hands around my chest. He had massive hands, and I wasn't exactly a big vampire. He easily constricted my chest, and my fingers weakly loosened on his neck. He brought his arms back down, fast and hard, then released me. I smashed into the floor with horrible force, and even my vampire strength couldn't prevent me from becoming dazed. I was too out of it to escape, to run.

He bent and grasped me by the neck with one hand, and lifted me off the ground and up so my head was slightly higher than his. I saw Jasper looking at me, horrified at what had befallen me by saving him. All the beast's fingers met up at the back of my neck, and my own hands gripped his in a futile attempt to free myself.

He swept back his hood and glared at me with hatred, while still holding me far off the floor.

He drew his arm back and my face was millimetres from his own. He studied my face impassively, and hissed. All of a sudden, his arm shot back out, throwing me at a huge speed towards the wall. The last thing I heard was Edward's wail as I hit it and bounced back off it, unconscious.

**Jasper POV:**

I finally got Edward's attention, but it was too late. Bella's lifeless body bounced back off the wall into the waiting arms of the huge vampire, who turned swiftly to the rest of the family, and roared.

The fighting suddenly ceased, as everyone turned to face him. Jane leapt nimbly to his side, as well as the rest of the cloaked figures. I crawled to Alice's side and stood up shakily. As my family noticed Bella's possibly dead body in his arms, they one by one gasped, and then made their own sounds of shock. Esme stared at Bella with motherly tenderness, which turned to incredible rage as she stared at the one holding her. Rosalie howled shrilly at the captor, and the rare vampire tears slid down her perfect face. Emmett hugged Rose as he looked at Bella with brotherly love, and hatred that would strike fear into many hearts filled his face as he looked at the vampire holding her.

And Edward. He didn't gasp, or cry out. He had yelled out as Bella struck the wall, but now he was staring at her face with disbelief, shock, and horror. He evidently blamed himself for it, as always.

Carlisle began. "Return my daughter to me. Now." He said, calmly but menacingly.

Jane smiled angelically at him, but to no avail. She frowned and tried again, harder. She stared angrily at Carlisle, who was looking confused. Everyone suddenly looked at Bella. Edward made a strangled sound of affection and awe as we saw that her eyes were screwed up in effort. She must have been protecting Carlisle, even having just regained consciousness.

Jane's smile faded, and Bella sighed, opening her eyes. Carlisle looked at her lovingly, and then his gaze returned to Jane. "I repeat," he snarled. "Return my daughter to me, _now._" I vaguely noticed Bella's feelings rise slightly at his use of the word 'daughter,' and she looked at him.

Jane smiled, but not her angelic smile. This smile was menacing. "Oh, no," she tinkled. "No, I don't think I will. At least, not without something in return..." she looked at us all suggestively.

"What?" snapped Alice, all playfulness gone. Her best friend was in the arms of a deadly looking vampire, and Alice was mad. Felix looked apprehensive.

Jane laughed infuriatingly. "Aro extends a second offer for you all to join him, and be part of the Volturi." She waved a careless hand to Bella, who was eyeing her with anger. "Bella is the wager. If you decline..."

The monstrous vampire abruptly flipped Bella up to face us. He held both of her elbows behind her back with one hand, and the other hand held her neck. She made a pained sound through gritted teeth as he held tighter and tighter.

Edward seemed to wake from his stupor and he was _livid._ He stared at Bella's eyes and she returned the look to him. He whipped to face Carlisle and snarled violently. We all converged together and looked at Carlisle.

"What can we do?" Carlisle breathed, so that the Volturi couldn't hear. He sounded defeated.

"Trust it to Bella to get caught," muttered Rosalie, but not in her usual angry tone. She sounded sad.

"No... it was my fault. That big one had me, and Bella saw it, and came to help me. She saved my life." I admitted this with sorrow, and looked up at Edward. He was glowering at me, seemingly unable to believe my weakness. I looked at Bella sadly.

Suddenly, everyone stood up, sniffing. The Volturi vampires mirrored us, and we all looked towards the door expectantly. Something reeked, and I had never, _ever _been happier to smell it in my life.

The door burst violently off its hinges, and through it came not one, not two, but seven werewolves.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **_If you guys keep making me do this, I will... well, just keep doing it. K I'm not Stephenie Meyer and these are ALMOST all her characters and blah blah... but the plot is mine. All mine!! (cackle)_

**Sorry to everyone who is getting bored with the fight scenes. I promise, it will be over by next chapter; bear with me! D Don't forget to review!**

**Bella POV**

Never have I been gladder to see the wolves. But I had some pressing issues that I needed to address before I got relieved.

The stench washed over us, making everyone grimace, and the giant holding me shuddered violently as his nose (apparently a sensitive one) took a blow of were-stink. I took my opportunity.

Bracing my arms, I swung myself out, then back in, out again, with more momentum, then whooshed back quickly, with one pointed foot aimed at the crotch of my captor. I was doubtful – would a kick in the balls have as much effect on vampires as it did on humans??

Only one way to find out.

WHAM! The force of my blow pushed his hips back and sent him to his knees. I shrugged myself out of his grip, landing lithely on the floor, then sprang quickly away to avoid being nabbed again.

I shouldn't have worried. My captor was on the ground, curled into a tight ball, clutching his manhood. I observed my handiwork as he squealed like a little... well, like Alice, actually.

I turned to my family and took a step towards them. Emmett, looking positively terrified, guarded his crotch with one hand and shied away, hiding behind Rosalie. Rose rolled her eyes and swooped in for a hug. I hugged her back enthusiastically – I was stunned but delighted that she seemed to like me now; though I had no idea why she did.

Carlisle was the next to hug me, and suddenly it was yet another group hug. The fact that Emmett still kept one hand shielding himself amused me. I felt safe and happy in the centre of my family's embrace.

A yip broke us out of our reverie and, almost comically, 8 heads snapped up at once to the fight that had broken out before us. Rosalie muttered something about 'randomly keep not noticing when fights start today... what the hell is wrong with me...' before we all fanned out, teeth bared. I was ready to have another go at the big one, what with 7 werewolves and 7 other vampires by my side.

The Cullen coven clan swept into the fight, inserting ourselves where we were needed, and otherwise observing and waiting. I stayed on the sidelines, watching the rapidly growing fight.

Leah and Sam were working together to take down the large one. He wasn't in the mood to be taken down. He had a sore crotch, and a stinging nose. He snapped at Leah and she shimmied back, growling. I watched for a minute as she and Sam warily circled, kicking away furniture and the occasional wall when they got in the way. Then I heard a howl, and whipped my head around in time to see Jacob being shoved down the stairs, and as he tumbled I heard cracking sounds. Jane slid 

daintily down the banister, stopping halfway to smile angelically at him. His whimpers intensified as he writhed, and the sounds of his pain cut into my scarred heart, opening old wounds.

Without much thought, I again leapt over other fighters to land crouched protectively over my best friend. He looked at me, in between yipping and thrashing, and I saw relief and sorrow in his dark eyes. I smiled slightly at him, then turned my furious gaze to little Jane. I wanted so badly to kill her, but I didn't think that would go down too well... maybe. Jane studiously ignored me and intensified her hold on Jacob, whose eyes left me as he howled in pain.

"Time to dance, Jane," I hissed furiously at her, and Jacob's ear twitched in my direction.

I jumped forward, snarling at her. When she refused to yield, I lost my temper and launched myself at her, knocking her off the banister and landing on her as we crashed to the ground.

By now, my family was all watching, since the fight was mostly over. Sam and Leah were busy finishing on the huge one, ripping him up as the final blow, but their ears were cocked in our direction.

Jacob stopped whining because Jane's gaze was disturbed – it was trained on me with hate. I returned the glare, just _daring _her to use her power once more, because I would gladly use it back to kill her. She circled me warily but calmly. I was sick and tired of this brat – the want to kill her intensified as she shot Jacob an infuriating grin. I launched myself at her, then feinted to the left and jumped over her, spinning in the air to land behind her, facing her. She whirled around a second too late; I was already at her throat.

I sank my razor, pointed teeth into her neck, disgusted at the taste, but that was overridden by my hatred of her. She fell, and I released my hold on her neck as I jumped away, fully alert as I stared at her. She got up slowly, surveying me. I shot a glance at Jacob to see if he was ok, and he was looking at me with a mixture of gratitude and surprise. I smiled at him.

Turning back to Jane, I found her on the ground. I tensed instinctively. Something was wrong with this, and not that she was hurt; that was excellent, but she had been fine moments ago.

I shot a glance around the wolves and my family, all in a mixed jumble, with Edward and Carlisle bent over Jacob, Carlisle gently prodding him to find the broken bones, and Edward crouching beside him, watching me intently. I swept my gaze over all of them, and they seemed as surprised as me.

I approached carefully, unable to tell if she was feinting or not. As I looked over her, I saw her eyes. I knew they had been red before, but now they were dark black and glazed. I crouched warily over her and ran a finger gently along her face. No reaction.

I stood up, puzzled, and Sam came over to me, head cocked. He sniffed Jane with very obvious distaste, and then looked at me carefully.

"She's dead," Edward translated from Sam's thoughts, surprised. "That's strange. Carlisle?"

"I have no more idea than you," said Carlisle. "Anyone? Any theories as to why a vicious vampire dropped dead of her own accord?"

"Alice, can you look into the future and see if we find out ever?" I suggested. She promptly acquired a distant, dreamlike look. Jasper eyed her with concern and the wolves looked on with interest. I wondered vaguely if she would be able to see it with the wolves so involved.

I walked over to Jacob and sat next to him. He didn't even wrinkle his nose at me, just grinned slightly with his canine mouth and nuzzled me. I stroked his neck absently as I stared at Alice.

She promptly fell out of her trance, and stared at me, aghast.

I blanched. Now what was wrong?

**Hahahaha! Sorry guys, I know how frustrating cliffhangers are. Use your imagination until I tell you what is going on, mwahahaha!**

**Also, school is starting for Term Two in a few days, so I may slow down slightly with my chapters, but never fear, I am as into the story as you guys and would never leave it unfinished. I hate it when people say 'leave lots of reviews or i wont update' then they get 150 reviews and haven't updated for years. Grr. **

**I will update... but I still want reviews. They make me feel all warm and fuzzy D**


	8. Chapter 8

**Ugh. I **_**WAS **_**going to go to bed, but mails from two vair excited peeps made me labour away on another chapter for you; with titbits inside as promised. I hope it fulfils your expectations!!**

**You're all VERY lucky that I love you so much D**

**Oh and there's a bit where Alice has a vision with a werewolf in it, and I twisted the rules so she can see werewolves when they're in human form. I know that doesn't quite ring true, but hey. It's my story, and I will mess with it as I please. )**

**Disclaimer: **_Blah This is pointless! What would you do if I said I was Stephenie Meyer? I bet you wouldn't believe me. (sad face)_

**Bella POV:**

Alice staring at me was starting to get on my nerves. "Well?" I said uneasily. She kept staring at me.

"Alice?" asked Jasper cautiously. "What's wrong..?"

"Hang on... nn... gimme a minute..." Alice was struggling to talk as her brow furrowed. "OH!" she suddenly exclaimed. "Oh..." she was still seeing something. "_Oh..." _she whipped around and crouched, facing Leah with a hiss.

Everyone jumped except Edward, who was taking the answer out of her mind. His jaw dropped, and he turned to stare at Leah. I followed his gaze, to see an unremarkable Leah looking uncomfortable being stared at. She shifted, and glared. "_WHAT, _leeches?!" she snapped. I growled automatically and she snarled back.

I really, _really _don't like that girl.

I turned back to Alice who had not relaxed her stance and was rumbling ever so softly, deep in her chest, unresponsive to Jasper's poking. I looked to Edward for answers. He glanced at me, then spoke while staring at Leah intently.

"She's going to try and kill Sam," said Edward clearly. "Then Emily if she can. Because of the imprinting between them." I was shocked, and stared at her, as did the rest of my family. She felt that strongly about Sam leaving her for Emily?

Sam and the pack, who had tightened around her, recoiled automatically. Leah looked shocked, and authentically confused. She began to shake her head. Paul looked at her intently, then turned back to Edward angrily.

"Impossible," he said sharply. "We would have seen it in her mind when we were phased.

"Not if she hasn't decided yet," I piped up. "She might not even know she is going to. And she'll be in human form when she does; otherwise Alice wouldn't have been able to see anything"

Jacob was very still behind me. I looked at him, and he stared back at me, disbelieving. He stood up shakily, and hobbled around me and slowly over to the pack. He took his place beside Sam, glaring at each of us in turn; making it clear where his loyalty lay. I was startled at his distrust in Alice's ability, given how accurate (and life saving) it had proved in the past.

I suddenly realised that we had forgotten all about Jane. I whipped around to look at her body, but it was gone. I snarled loudly and leapt into a crouch where her body had been. Everyone momentarily forgot about the Leah thing and looked around.

I couldn't believe it. We had spent so much time growling at each other and now we had lost the reason for the wolves being here in the first place. I sniffed and finally found a scent.

I turned slowly, standing up, following it carefully.

It trailed around and lingered ... then I felt a breeze. I opened my eyes and sniffed again, trying to follow the scent. It took me to a window... the window was broken, and Jane's scent trailed away outside.

I span around in shock, it was etched into every feature in my face. "She got away!"

"She can't have broken the window, we would have heard!" snapped Emmett in frustration, and Seth growled in an irritated way. I looked at the bodies of the rest of the Volturi. They were all there, as we left them, dismembered.

I angrily began to build a fire out of broken furniture; stacking it in the fireplace that was never used. Distracting myself, I went in search of a lighter and came back peevishly, still angry at myself. As I stepped towards the fireplace, I stopped, an overwhelming sense of déjà vu taking me. I was standing in the same spot as I was in when I fought Jane with my mind and Felix... I shook my head slightly, and turned with a groan.

It dawned on me. I groaned in annoyance. "She didn't break it," I said irritably. All this freaking out over nothing. "Rose, you threw Felix through that one, remember? All she had to do was climb out of it and she's off free. She must have faked death or something... I didn't know you could do that."

"Oh..." said Carlisle sheepishly. I looked at him in astonishment. He didn't meet my eyes. "I... er, sort of forgot you can." He rushed on, trying to justify it. "You have to be really good and everything and I didn't think Jane was that practiced because you know it takes a lot of skill and discipline to be able to force your own brain to play dead and be still and even secrete the dead smell and everything..." he seemed to run out of steam.

I was a bit miffed that she tricked us so easily, but I sighed. "Oh well. Looks like we're going to have the Volturi on our backs now," I said with weariness. "What fun. Murderous Italian vampires who want us dead." I rolled my eyes. Who in this world _didn't _want to kill me besides my family and friends?

Jasper was the first to return to the matter at hand after our short distraction. He turned swiftly to face Leah; now in wolf form. He curled his lips over his teeth in the hint of a threat. She responded in kind, but despite her size, Jasper was more impressive.

"You want Sam dead! I can feel it!" he shouted. He flinched slightly as Leah's emotions overflowed and she howled. Sam leapt away from her, staring at her in disgust and horror, evidently having heard something. The other five wolves followed suit, flanking their leader. Leah stood alone, shaking with rage. She must have yelled with her mind because Edward flinched hard.

She crouched, glowering at Sam, clearly preparing to spring. I started forwards, only to be tripped and sat on by Alice. I arched an eyebrow; she must have known that I could throw her off with ease, but she only said "Let the dogs fight. They can resolve their own stupid issues," she said, coldly and impassively. I rolled over gently and stood up, watching apprehensively.

Sam seemed to be thinking at Leah urgently; maybe telling her to stop this idiocy and calm down. Leah tensed further, and I saw the bitterness in her eyes... and the madness. She wasn't going to stand down, I could tell.

Suddenly she sprang. I could barely see it; it was that fast. I watched in horror as Sam shied back, not wanting to strike back at a fellow wolf, and Leah's outstretched claws slice through Sam's throat, leaving three deep gashes, before she was tackled by Seth, Quil and Embry. I couldn't take my eyes away, much as I tried to, before Leah was finished.

Embry's head darted in and grasped her neck. I flinched but still watched as Embry gripped and yanked... taking out Leah's throat. I heard a horrific gurgling and then nothing. She was dead.

Everything was still for several minutes as we observed quietly. One by one, the pack came back to human, shuddering. Embry ducked outside to retch.

Sam was laying on the floor, breathing in short, ragged bursts as his blood leaked all over the carpet. His eyes rolled and then closed. His breathing became faint, and his pack gathered around him, sobbing in lamentation. Sam looked up at his pack one last time before shuddering... then dying.

Surrounded by friends and enemies, Sam lay peacefully on the carpet. Slowly, while sobbing for their friend, the pack all assisted in lifting Sam's body off the carpet, and serenely carried him outside and around the back, to the woods. I saw them file in slowly, off to bury their companion.

The sadness that I hadn't felt earlier suddenly washed through me with painful intensity and I swayed unsteadily. I felt around for a chair and collapsed into it as Jasper winced at my emotions.

I buried my head in my hands, dry sobbing at Sam's death. I had always thought he was decent... and as much as I hated Leah, I didn't want her dead. It seemed so unreal. The pack was reduced to five.

I lifted my head slowly, and saw Carlisle and Emmett carrying Leah's body out to the yard to bury. Killed by one of her own as she tried to kill one of her own.

I busied myself by lighting the fire as I never had after getting distracted, and told everyone quietly to collect the pieces of the dead vampires and put them on the blaze.

Everyone obeyed quietly. While it wasn't a great loss for us personally; it still stung. And the werewolves had come to our rescue after all... if it weren't for them; we'd probably all be headed for Volterra right now.

Edward's welcome embrace came to me and I relaxed into him. "It's over," he murmured. "Finally." And he hugged me close to him as the others collected vampire pieces. I noted the stench of burning vampires with distaste.

"Well... now all we have to worry about is the furious Volturi on our case for killing their reconnaissance crew," said Edward mildly. "Can't be that bad. We've done worse."

I rolled my eyes, chuckling slightly despite the situation. Cradled against my Edward, I could almost forget the rest of the world.

**Hmm? What you think? Good end? Or should I keep going about the Volturi wanting to massacre them? Maybe in another story. Review and tell me what you think!! )**


	9. Chapter 9

**8D Hey guise! I'm glad to be back. I've had a busy week or so at school and didn't get to update; but now that it's the GLORIOUS, BLISSFULL weekend, I can labour away for my wonderful readers.**

**Also, my apologies to anyone who got an alert about a new chapter this morning only to find a sucky authors note. I'M SORRY!!**

**And finally, my creativity has been vacuumed forcibly out of me by school, so this chapter may be boring... it's hard to judge your own work. I can't tell if it's exciting or not for you! Hope you like it.**

**Bella POV**

I woke up. As much as an undead vampire can wake up, anyway. I opened my eyes and tugged my mind back to now. I had fallen into a tired stupor in Edward's arms, and I found myself in Edward's bed a while later. It was late afternoon; I could tell from where the sun was in the sky.

I sat up numbly, the effects of hours and hours of thinking were coming back to me... the Volturi... here. And probably hoping to kill us soon. I had no idea when they would come... or how they would kill us.

My hours of fruitless pondering had done nothing except make me seem weak. I snapped at the air and twisted off the bed. I suddenly noticed the itchy, fiery sensation in my lower throat. It was very peculiar, and after a moment of reminiscing about waking up thirsty for water in my human days, I set off downstairs.

I encountered Emmett fixing the window that Jane had escaped through and I barely repressed my guttural growl at the thought of her. I continued in search of Edward, and since my eyes were failing, I flared my nostrils and searched out his scent. I found it, and it was... how to describe it. Pale?

It was faint, for sure, and made a snaky path outside. I followed it with a strange, deepening sense of impending disaster.

One the one hand, Alice would have seen anything terrible happening, but on the other foot, since when had Edward gone out into the forest hunting and leaving me here? I began to panic as I pictured a werewolf ripping him to shreds... Alice wouldn't see that.

Oh, right, he'd just vanish. Ok then, relax, breathe... I laughed to myself at how Edward used to have to keep reminding me to breathe. He couldn't be far, and I suppose he must have reasoned that I was in a house with several competent vampires who were more than capable of defending me.

Not to mention that I could defend myself now too.

I went back inside listlessly, not knowing what to do. I was bored, and my thirst had dulled to an annoying tickle. How am I going to get through an eternity of 24/7 days if I'm bored in the first few weeks? That's the blink of an eye for a vampire; and I have a lot of blinking to do.

I sighed, and mutely went to assist Emmett with the window. He grinned, his bear nature shining through.

"Heya, Squirt. How's it going?" he ruffled my hair in an affectionate (if annoying) way. I smiled at him and shrugged. I didn't feel like bothering to speak. He cocked a head at me, then shrugged back and returned to work. I wordlessly followed his lead and carefully pushed a beam into its slot.

We worked for a few minutes, and then I tagged along as he went to his Jeep to retrieve the sheet of glass for the window, when he stopped suddenly, and angled his head to the forest, sniffing. I sullenly followed his gaze and smelled the air.

Smells... pinecones. Faint Edward. Strong everyone else. Werewolf. Slight petrol smell... nothing out of the ordinary.

Emmett turned. "Bella, where's Edward?" he asked quietly.

His use of my name rather than Squirt or Titch scared me more than his tone, or that he hadn't made a joke... I blanched and my brain wrenched itself into a more productive mode than following and staring.

"He's out hunting... maybe," I started slowly. "He was gone when I woke up and I followed his scent out here. He's out in the forest somewhere, I guess... what's wrong?"

I was very proud of my dead organs right now. Not a single crack or waver in my voice!

He clenched his teeth, snarling, and whirled to face the forest, sprinting lightly to its edge. I watched him in fascination and worry as he pressed a hand to the ground and smelled deeply again... and then my face turned to horror as I saw him get up, looking terrified, and run back to me.

"We've got to get out of here! They're here, they're coming... ALICE!" he was babbling on in a booming voice, and soon everyone was out on their respective landings, looking down at us from varying heights.

"Come down here, for God's sake!" snapped Emmett. "I smell wolves, and Volturi, and Edward, and fear."

I felt a tickle on my tongue and realised I was hissing. The Volturi? I hadn't smelt them! They must be deep... just so deep that we couldn't smell them. My muscles started to hurt and I noticed how tense I was. I unknotted my scrunched up insides, but didn't fully relax.

Emmett was vaguely ranting on about how Edward wasn't supposed to leave, and what was he thinking, and how did they get him, and why didn't he smell them... when I had another epiphany.

Vampires having epiphanies... that's stupid. We can't do that... but I can still suddenly realise things... like if a train of thought leads me to- shut up, brain! You and your ranting...

Wolves. Volturi. Edward. He would definitely have smelt them both if they were there... but he would not have stressed at the scent of the wolves; our 'allies.' But if, say, the abundant wolves got him while he was not expecting it, and then the Volturi came afterwards... he would be powerless. What had Jacob said to me all that time ago... how we could never be friends, and we were nothing but enemies because I was a bloodsucker.

How... how he would fight us all with any means possible to get me... oh, no. I don't know how I knew. But I did, undoubtedly.

I yelled. "Those _traitors!_" I threw my head back and roared, putting Sumatran tigers to shame.

My family, after flinching, jumped to grab me as I beelined to the door. I thrashed and howled again. They shushed me and asked what was going on. I turned to them and I knew my eyes were blacker than black.

"Trap." I snarled. "Edward wouldn't have freaked out if he smelled the werewolves and he would have continued deep into the forest to look for lion. All the _Volturi,_" I spat the word, "would have to do is arrange for the wolves to get Edward, and then the vamps show up and gloat." I moaned quietly. "Jacob told me he would fight twice as ruthlessly and half as compassionately now because I left him to be a... bloodsucker."

Alice looked at me. "The Volturi don't uphold treaties with werewolves."

I scoffed. "Which is more important to them: a stinging in their noses until they dispose of the wolves; or us being dead or their slaves?"

She cocked a head in thought. She clearly didn't believe me. I made a frustrated sound and, although I understood that it must have looked like a wild guess, I knew I was right.

"Look," I hissed softly. "Jacob and the wolves would do anything to get rid of us after Sam's death. The Volturi second that notion. So they could just work together to kill us or get us captured. Edward might have ducked off to hunt, and he wouldn't have been suspicious of the scent of werewolves in the forest; so all they had to do was pin him down and howl or something. The Volturi come running, gloat for a bit, then Jane immobilises him and they take him away. He's the perfect bargaining chip!"

I hadn't given enough evidence. I thought about it. The others were looking at each other skeptically. There were so many ways that the capture could be pulled off; it was perfect and simple. The Volturi then could just pick off the wolves leisurely to make sure they never bothered them again.

It came to me.

"Alice!" I said suddenly. "Search for Edward's future; or Jane's, or any of them! If you can't see, then they must be tangled up in something with the wolves!"

She arched one exquisite eyebrow and shut her golden eyes, I waited impatiently; my longing for Edward to hold me was intensifying. I was too tired to nab Alice's power and find the future myself, and I was inexperienced anyway.

We all waited with baited breath that we didn't need.

Alice returned at last and opened her eyes. I saw with satisfaction that they were now as black as mine. "Jane is gone. Demetri is gone. Felix is gone. Aro is gone. Caius is gone. Marcus is there; I saw him at the palace reading some book about fungi. Edward is gone," she spat slowly. "I believe Bella, it makes sense, and what else explains it? Good guess, Bells."

I didn't argue about it being a guess. I wasn't in the mood trying to explain how the certainty just came to me, and have Emmett joking about it and Carlisle staring at me, trying to figure me out.

"I believe it. Let's kick some vampire ass with our vampire feet!" grinned Emmett.

"We will get Edward back," Esme spoke quietly, coldly. "There is _no _doubt." She sounded scarier than anyone I've ever heard in my entire life.

Jasper and Rosalie nodded, and I turned to Carlisle. The rest of them followed my lead. Esme stroked his arm as he considered.

'Consider FASTER,' I thought in irritation.

He seemed to finally decide to speak and everyone made impatient sounds except Esme, who calmly continued to caress his bicep.

"It's dangerous. Very dangerous..." I rolled my eyes. As if we didn't already know that! Yes or no, Carlisle...

"But Edward is a member of this family and he will _not _be left behind."

I don't know if he has been taking lessons from Esme; but his quiet, haunting tone was an echo of Esme... but much, much more dangerous.

**So? Was it as bad as I thought or will it quench your thirst until I update with stuff I **_**know **_**is interesting?**

**I want at least 5 reviews before I post the next chapter. They make me happy, and I put my poor tired brain through so much to deliver these (if inadequate) chapters.**

**So review muchly or the annoyed tiger Bella verbally slaughtered will eat you.**


	10. Chapter 10

**I **_**am **_**going to have a soppy moment right now because I love you all so much. Especially bloodnoir who reviewed on EVERY chapter! THANKIES! I never imagined that so many peeps would like my stories! It's a great feeling and trust me, I wouldn't have kept going without everyone's support. MORE LOVE GOES OUT TO YOU ALL!!**

**Anyway. On with the story. I hope you enjoy; this one was hard because I have to set everything up for the plot mangling in the next two chapters, and the POV was different. 8D SPOI-LERS!**

**Edward's POV (AN-I thought you guys might want to know what happened from his point of view too, so this backtracks a bit to show you what happened. I hope it confuses you! That is necessary for my plan! Mwahaha!)**

My mind was in turmoil. I was loathe to leave Bella alone, even for an hour, after her collapse earlier. What was wrong with her? Vampires can't get knocked out... She had been 'dozing' fitfully for several hours now and I worried about her. But, I would do her no good if I was irritable from thirst when she woke up, so I went to hunt.

I sprinted carefully into the forest, catching several strong scents. Werewolf, various Cullens, grizzly, deer, and several smaller animals. I angled north-west, sniffing out the grizzly, when all of a sudden a beast leapt from behind me and pinned me face-down. It was a familiar scent, but I instinctively lashed out.

I threw my momentum onto my chest, raising my legs to throw the beast off me. My movement carried me forwards and I crouched to steady myself.

The beast in front of me raised its shaggy head and looked at me. It was Jacob.

I relaxed infinitesimally and regarded him cautiously.

_Edward!_ His thoughts cried out to me.

"What is it?" I asked suspiciously.

_The pack is betraying you! They're befriended your enemies to overthrow you! I didn't agree because Bella will probably get hurt, but the pack didn't listen! They rose against me even though I am the leader, and they're off running with the Vol- _his thoughts cut off as he was tackled by a howling silver wolf.

I was aghast. How could they do this? The treaty was dirt now. I was torn between running back to the house or helping Jacob, until his thoughts screamed _GO AND WARN THEM! GO!_

As Jacob threw off his attacker, Paul, and whipped around to attack him back, I turned to head back. I sprinted as fast as I could push myself to go, when I was hit by the scent of Demetri and a few others. I felt the furious scowl growing on my face as I pushed myself faster, and the stench of wolf was becoming stronger and closer. I knew in my cold, stone heart that I wasn't going to make it out of the forest.

I was right.

I heard them before I saw them, thunderous footfalls all around me. Their thoughts were as scrambled as mine, and I couldn't discern any plan of attack or what they intended to do to my family.

I felt resigned; an alien feeling to me. Normally I was willing to fight till the end, but I could smell at least five wolves and three vampires. I stopped and turned around slowly, hearing thoughts being collected.

I now faced five massive wolves, all staring into my eyes, and all looking almost... regretful? I studied their expressions for a minute, but then I felt the sudden, instantaneous feeling of burning agony that I knew was Jane. As I fell to the ground, writhing, the last thing I saw was the wolf Quil avert his eyes, looking upset.

And then I saw no more.

**Review or I will keep this hanging for weeks as I write the chapters! Hahaha! I will know who dies (oh noes, spoilers) and who doesn't, but YOU WILL NOT BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T REVIEW!**

**I asks for five reviews before I post the new chapter, okayz? Thankies! You all mean the world to me, despite my torture. 8D**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hai thar reviewers! Now, I have a bone to pick with some readers. I have many more subscribers than reviewers, meaning that not everyone reviews. That is annoying because I put a fair bit of effort into the chapters and for people not to even bother clicking a button, typing 'Coolies! Keep writing!' or something and clicking submit, is just stoopid. **

**Now I have graced you all with another chapter because I felt like I was neglecting this story, and I love all the people who do review so much 8D**

**Enjoy it! (unless you aren't a reviewer. I hope it makes your eyes bleed)**

**Bella POV**

We launched ourselves into the forest, sprinting in circles miles wide until I heard Rosalie signalling to the forest that she had hit a trail. I angled towards her voice, pushing myself faster and faster as she held a high note clearly and loudly for several minutes.

We all reached her at the same time, breathing deeply not from exertion, but to catch the scent that she had found.

I got it. The first and strongest that I registered was a sweet, disgusting smell. It filled my nose, and it reminded me of when you go to the garbage dump on a very hot day and the smell seems so thick and all-encompassing.

Despite the urge to turn away, I sniffed deeper, searching for the scent of my beloved.

I found it.

I smelled a slightly spicy, enticing scent buried within the disgusting werewolf ones, and my eyes pricked with nonexistent tears. I smelled several vampires that I couldn't place; but I assumed they were Volturi. I smelled Edward's fear and also regret that seemed more mixed in with the wolves.

That one stumped me. Why would the wolves regret this? They had wanted us gone from the beginning. I mulled it over in my head and didn't even hear as my family discussed the plan of attack.

Emmett woke me up by saying, "So you got that, Bella? You're ready?"

"Huh?" I asked stupidly. "Oh right, sure..."

"Okay then," he said briskly. "Head on back to the house and we'll take it from here."

"WHAT?" I screamed at him. He couldn't possibly think I would sit this one out; or _any _battle from here on in! I was a major asset; not a burden anymore!

"Knew you weren't listening," he smirked. I growled and prepared to leap at him when Carlisle intervened.

"Well, we should go. The plan was to simply follow the path until we catch up with them, then fan out and hit them from all sides.

We took off; a family of bats out of hell, determined to rescue the lost bat.

**Jasper POV**

We followed the trail for a long time, and I mentally ran through every military strategy I knew. I knew it was strategically proper to launch a surprise attack, but there was no way that they thought we would leave Edward alone.

That left a limited amount of options. Everyone else had chosen to stick with the 'fan out and come from everywhere' strategy, but as practical as it sounded, it was almost useless. They would certainly be expecting that.

What _wouldn't _they be expecting?

Well... they wouldn't be expecting us to hit them from in front, as we were travelling from behind; but that was out because they would smell us overtaking them.

They wouldn't be expecting us not to attack at all, but that was out because we would.

They wouldn't be expecting us to negotiate.

Then something struck me.

They definitely wouldn't be expecting a werewolf to attack them. What werewolf wasn't with them? Jacob had been taken out, and I regretted that. But hope was not lost. I stopped.

My family turned to me, and a smile grew on my face.

"I never liked our plan – it's what they're expecting. I know what we should do; that they would never foresee us doing."

"Get on with it," said Bella irritably; she was visibly itching to follow the trail and I could feel her impatience. "What do we need?"

I grinned devilishly. "Billy Black."


	12. Chapter 12

**Hai guise! Sorry to leave you dangling off a cliff for so long, but I was working on 'The Bastards are Back' and it took up my time. Go read it if you haven't! Rated M for mild-moderate cursing.**

**Anyway, I'll get right down to it. Sorry it's short; but I am easing myself slowly back into this story; and the next one will be long. If I kept going with the next plot section, it would have been way too long. So wait patiently, young ones. Luckily for you, I am on a Mid-Term Break (YESSS!!) and I get four days of hols starting tomorrow. I have no sport because the seasons are finished, and no plans to make plans anytime. You know what that means – solid days of undisturbed reading, writing and watching! BLISS FOR ME, and CHAPTERS FOR YOU! XD**

**Jasper POV**

We all ran like mad towards Forks and La Push. As we got closer and closer, the lingering smell of werewolf and the distant smell of long gone Volturi made us gradually anxious. I felt the anxiety, fear, and in Bella's case, warped feelings of loss and guilt. I pushed her to be calmer but my powers bounced off. I sighed as I ran, hoping she could keep it together. We were all scared for our bro.

We crossed the boundary line hesitantly. Even though we knew the werewolves were off with the Volturi, years of care around the end of our land dented as habit and old habits die hard.

Nice choice of words, Jasper. I could just imagine Edward shooting me a grimace at that thought. It made me miss him and I sighed again for the umpteenth time today. I never thought the day would come where I would long for my snippy, pompous and egotistical brother to punch my shoulder and glare at something I had thought about. I sighed... again with the sighing...

I was so wrapped up in my thoughts that I didn't realise everyone was slowing down. I slowed down too, kinda late, trying to look like I had been paying attention to whatever was going on. I felt amusement weakly from Bella and Carlisle. Amusement at my expense? Well, we can't have that. A stab of clumsiness... whoa, awesome, Carlisle fell flat on his face... what? Bella wasn't affected at all!

Ok, that's just random. She's mega clumsy as a human. Any help from me to make her worse would literally have made her some kind of pseudo death-trap. But now she seems to have developed an immunity to clumsiness. Great. There goes my fun.

**Emmett POV**

I was shocked at myself. I said, 'Emmett, I'm shocked at you,' in my head. Then I laughed because I pictured the look Edward would have given me if he had heard my idiotic thoughts.

Sigh. Edward... I miss the stupid mind-reader. Playing Jasper at everything is no fun. I mean; he's awesome, he ends up winning by like infinity points at everything. Of course, Edward is even better, but I just taunt him by thinking about Rosalie naked, or ask him if he's finally done the deed with Bells. Then he attacks me, and I actually _can _win.

Anyway, back to me. Why was I shocked, you ask? Well, Carlisle fell on his head and I was too busy missing my brother to collapse laughing. Does that sound like me to you? No! What kind of joker am I to not make jokes of the greatest joke in the joker's world? A vampire tripping over? Golden!

**Bella POV (sorry to cycle the POVs so much, but it adds to the story this way)**

We neared Jac- Billy's house, and we slowed down so we could watch out for potential danger. My eyes flitted back and forth between the familiar land – the crashing sea further out past the houses, the woods around us, the houses themselves sitting stoic among the slight hills. It was beautiful.

We approached slowly and carefully to Jacob's house. We could smell one person in there, and hear one heartbeat. It was slow and weak, which worried me. I wasn't sure if old people always had heartbeats like that or if he was sick. I glanced around and nobody else seemed concerned so I disregarded it. Jasper sensed my discontent and flicked a piece of serenity my way. I let it in.

We assembled outside the side of the small house, wondering how to approach him. Maybe he would smell us and come out himself? Or maybe he would smell us and call the pack. Crap.

I voiced that idea quickly. Carlisle mused.

"Good point. We don't want them to come back... not yet, anyway," he said cryptically. "Conventional and relaxed seems best. Who wants to knock?"

I volunteered and we veered around the front of the house. I took a deep breath that I really didn't need unless I was desperate to smell (let's face it; smell is a very useful sense) and approached the door. Raising one hard hand, I rapped quickly, and stepped back hurriedly.

We waited a few moments, glancing at each other and meeting eyes a few times. All were grim.

I raised my hand to knock again, when I heard a faint sound. The unmistakable squeak of a wheelchair. My heartbeat would have picked up if I had had one.

Abruptly, the door flew open. Billy was in front of us, looking authoritative and furious.

"Why are you here?" hissed Billy. "What do you want from me? _Why are you on this land belonging to the Qui-_" he stopped and stared, leaning back slightly. "Bella?"


	13. Chapter 13

**Ouch. My brain hurts from all the ideas that I have had for plot twists in this story!**

**Finally I settled on one, however, but it is complicated. If anything doesn't make sense to you, chill, the details are all hammered out paper-thin and will reveal themselves gradually.**

**Sorry this chapter is short but the next one is going to be very long and I couldn't have them together or else it'd be, like... kilometres long :D**

**Bella POV**

"... and that's how we ended up here," finished Jasper finally.

Billy leaned back in his wheelchair, blowing out the air he had been holding. He had blanched when we mentioned Jacob but we assured him that he wasn't dead; just... incapacitated.

"I can help you," he said confidently. He seemed to trust us, and briskly began to devise a plot to reverse the alienation of the wolves, and defeat the Volturi once and for all. I was shocked at his willingness to help us, and I glanced sideways at Jasper. He nodded slightly, indicating that Billy wished us no harm.

"I think what would be best is to distract them... then attack I suppose. I'm not really sure why the Pack would befriend these obvious monsters, but they may decide to give it up and join me again," mused Billy. "In any case, I agree with you – they need to come back and I won't let them blow the treaty and start another war."

"What exactly are we waiting for?" whined Emmett impatiently.

"We're not," smiled Billy. "Help me up, I'm gonna phase for the first time in thirty years!" He seemed excited, and I stepped forward, lifting him into my arms with utter ease. He smelled like wolf, if faintly, and I held him gingerly out, away from my body as he rolled his eyes.

I held him up in front of me, upright, once we were in the woods. He just hung there, struggling, clearly trying to phase.

"Try imagining Edward biting Bella without her consen-" began Emmett.

Well, the result of _that _was instantaneous. The creature in my arms exploded and I flew backwards, hitting a tree. Suddenly there was a _huge, _even bigger than Sam, wolf before me, majestically standing proud. He was a toned, metallic golden colour with silver flecks through him. He ruffled his fur angrily, leaping towards Emmett who, for the first time, looked terrified of a werewolf.

I wasn't. I'd faced worse.

I leaped onto Billy's back just as he struck Emmett, tightening my arms around his furry, stinking neck. He smelled different to normal werewolves... more authoritative, if that's even a smell.

"Calm down, Billy!" I shouted. "He only said that to get you going!"

Billy gradually relaxed, but looked tense still, surrounded by vampires as he was. I realised I was still riding him and I slid off hastily.

He shifted his weight from foot to foot, apparently testing himself. He looked so happy.

"Why are you so big? And why are you gold?" asked Rosalie in what would have been close to awe if it wasn't a werewolf she was talking to. He swung his great head in her direction.

_I'm a Mera._

We all heard it in our heads and shrunk back. "Was that you?" I asked incredulously.

_Who else, Bella._ He said it as a statement, not a question.

"How can you talk to us? The others couldn't!" exclaimed Esme. She hardly ever spoke to people other than her family. He rolled his massive eyes.

_I told you already. I'm a Mera! What else do I need to sa- oh, right. You guys don't know what that is. _He curled his lips back in a wolfy grin. _A Mera is an old leader. I am the original leader of the La Push pack. Have been since the beginning of it. Once you have ruled for the span of one pack, and then the pack ended because the vampires left, you relinquish leadership. If you are still alive next time vampires come around, and are still the leader, you become a Mera and you turn gold. Old Quil is a Mera too, but he stopped being able to phase when old Harry died. Affected him like nobody else, it did. They were close as anything... anyway, it makes me strong and gives me automatic leadership over the pack... but I don't know what kind of hold these Volturons have over them. It might have an effect. _He finished his long speech and his gravelly voice echoed in my head.

"Volturi," corrected Carlisle distantly. Suddenly Billy stiffened, then grinned widely.

_Easy as cake! _He said smugly. I arched an eyebrow at him. _New plan. Easy plan. _He said smugly.


	14. Chapter 14

**Sorry for shortness of last chapter; this one will make up for it!!**

**Anyway, I am eager to get the plot happening, so enjoy!**

**Bella POV**

Billy was being an annoying old fart as usual, but I refrained myself from telling him so and waited for him to speak to us.

_Hah! What a cinch! The Volury didn't think this out too well!_

"Volturi," I corrected him again. "Hurry up and tell us what's so good about this situation!" He swung his head to glare at me in irritation, and then sat down heavily.

_The only reason they went with the Volturans-_

"VOLTURI!" yelled Emmett in exasperation. "VOLT, as in VOLT. U, as in YOU. RI, as in... READ!"

Billy took a snap at him and Emmett fell over backwards. Rosalie rolled her eyes and politely indicated for Billy to continue. He rolled his eyes back.

_Anyway the Volt-you-reads were only able to get the wolves to help them because they threatened to attack the people of Forks if they didn't help. The wolves on their own weren't strong enough to defeat the bad vampires, so they had no choice but to agree._

Billy squinted slightly and concentrated, as though trying to listen to something far away. He was, really.

_Ah. They're pretty sure the Voltureads want to kill all of them as soon as they've served their purpose. _

He snarled and I joined him, enjoying the tickly sensation in my throat as I did so. Billy did another wolfy grin and continued.

_They've been completely stuck for ideas and they hated having to attack Edward. They like him, you know, _said Billy conversationally. _They've been begging for you guys not to attack because they would have had to fight you, and- hahaha! They've been desperately hoping that you guys would come to me but they 'knew' you wouldn't because you wouldn't think of that!_

He eyed us appreciatively. _Smart. Who thought of it? _

"Me. I wasn't sure if you could phase, but if anyone could help us it would be you," said Jasper. Billy nodded his great, shaggy head.

_Smart boy. Anyway... our best bet is for me to maybe take one of you on my back because I'll need one of you for the first wave. I'll mask your scent so the boys can just say I've come to help them. Dumb Voltureads will be overconfident and not challenge that, Sam thinks. They don't know about Meras which means they will be shocked when I'm so big and buff and everything. _

He sounded very proud of himself and I couldn't help but laugh.

_Hmm... I think I can hide one of you in my fur, and we can see how it plays out. I'll still be able to talk to you, and I'll call you in from downwind when we're ready to get them!_

It seemed weird for him to plan out our whole attack strategy and everything without any input from us, but we knew he was talking to the whole pack so it seemed appropriate.

Times like this you need Edward as translator... my chest panged and tore slightly when I thought his name, and I rubbed at the old hole sporadically.

"I volunteer to go on your back," I said. "I have a strong power and I want to be there for Edward..." I finished quietly and everyone nodded as though they had expected nothing less. I smiled at their acceptance.

"You just need to make sure," stated Alice, "that you don't lose it and try to attack them. It will be hard for you to restrain yourself if you're near Edward, but you need to control yourself until the time is right for us to come and surround them."

I saw the truth in her words but I doubted myself suddenly. I was no fool and I wasn't about to tell myself I could handle it... it seemed likely that I would break and burst out to take him. But I couldn't. For the sake of everyone, I couldn't

"I will be fine," I said with conviction. Alice's brow furrowed,

"Argh, this is _frustrating! _I HATE not being able to see the future with the wolves around!" she fumed in annoyance, breaking the tension.

Billy's loud, rough laugh broke into our heads and echoed, making us all laugh as well. Then something occurred to me.

"Hey, Billy, I don't get something," I started. "How come you can talk to me in my head when everyone else can't use their abilities on me?"

Everyone was stopped short by that question, and many brows knitted together, especially Carlisle. Nobody despised an unsolved mystery like Carlisle.

"Not the time to worry about it," said Esme. "Just make sure you don't unconsciously block it or something unexpected. You were always different; you never know what might happen. You could grow the power to block and unblock... just watch it."

"Doubtful she would develop it, but I suppose anything is possible," said Carlisle. "In any case, we can figure it out later. Now we need to go and get Edward back."

This was met by enthusiasm by everyone, and I refused to think about what might happen if we were too late. _This sucks, _I thought to myself.

_You're telling me, _said Billy. I stared at him, so did everyone else.

"What?" asked Jasper. Billy's wolfy head frowned.

_Didn't someone just say 'this sucks?' _he asked.

"Yeah..." I said slowly. "In my _head_!"

"Well," said Esme smugly. "Looks like her developing something new _did _happen!"

"Telepathy?" said Carlisle. "My guess is it is advanced power from your human block. You can undo it, I would wager, and do the opposite. It will actually be handy; it would be very frustrating to be stuck with Billy while the pack talked to each other and you couldn't say anything."

"Is it limited? Can you only talk to people who can talk back?" asked Alice curiously.

"Let's test it," I said out loud. _Emmett, you're FAT!_

"I AM _NOT_!" yelled Emmett furiously. "IT'S _MUSCLE_!"

Everyone laughed and I grinned evilly.

"I'll have to practise controlling it so I don't accidentally show everyone what I'm thinking," I said, suspiciously, eyeing everyone. I shudder to think how annoying Emmett would be.

_It's like another damn Edward, _I heard Rosalie's sweet voice in my head.

"Hey!" I shouted. "I heard that! ...oh my God, I _heard _that!!"

Suddenly I was bombarded with thoughts and I clutched at my head, snarling. I concentrated on blocking them out and they faded to an incessant buzzing on the edge of my hearing.

"Two powers," said Emmett jealously. "I don't even get _one!_" He whined.

"Not really," said Carlisle. "They both fit into the same category. You're telepathic," he told me. "Situations where one aspect of your power is needed can sometimes wake dormant abilities that are still just one power."

I mulled that over. I felt very powerful.

_Can we go now? _Asked Billy. His voice didn't count in my mental block (I could block it if I wanted to, but I let his in).

"Yes, yes," I said. I had actually forgotten about Edward! _That _made me feel like the best wife ever. "Let's go get him!"

I walked over to Billy. He was _huge. _My head was just above his foreleg elbows. I felt dwarfed by his magnificence. He knelt down and pressed himself lower to help me, but even so, he was taller than Emmett's jeep. I sighed. If I had been I human, I would have had no hope. Luckily, I was stronger than that, and I leaped lithely onto his back, burying myself into his long, shaggy golden fur.

Even though I had better senses than the average vampire; because I was a newborn and because one of my traits was having good senses as a human, Billy's scent didn't bother me like it clearly bothered the others. Perhaps because I had always spent time with him; ever since I was a little girl I had seen him regularly. I telepathically bid my family farewell as we started to run.

**Hey! I hope I explained well enough. I wrote this chapter in a rush because there were so many things I wanted to explain. Just review and ask if you misunderstood anything or didn't get it!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Finally got back into this one! I read the last chapter back over and I have a few new ideas I want to tie in somehow... since I haven't worked on this one for a while, if I add something that I haven't actually explained because I already worked it out in my mind but you don't get it, review and ask :**

**This chapter is kind of a recap/update thing – I'm cycling POV's to let everyone know what's going on right now. Then later on the plot will tap in. It's a looooong chapter XD (for once)**

**Billy POV (because we all wanted that. It's short, sorry!!)**

As I ran, I thought.

This whole 'helping the vampire coven that has been enemies to me for a long time' is kind of disconcerting to me, since I've been on a clear side of that fine line for a long time. Now, it seems, I have crossed it and I can't even see it anymore.

Such is life, I suppose. And I must use my Mera powers for good, not evil, as the corny saying goes – and I do not see any of the Cullens as being evil.

I'm siding with the good guys.

**Bella POV**

_Not long now, Edward. Not long... _I projected my thoughts out – exclusively to him – just in case we were close enough for him to hear me.

The buzz of constant voices in my mind is dim right now because it's just Billy. I'm guessing that my range is pretty constant – if I can't hear him, I probably can't talk to him either.

It's pretty funny, actually – Edward never being able to read me, and now I have the same power as him, but; as I'm sure will annoy him, much more powerfully.

I wonder if I'll be able to let him into my mind now that I'm a telepath. It won't be the same for me to just send messages to him because it's the same as talking; I can just edit. He won't be satisfied with that by a long shot.

Thinking about him as though there is no mortal danger right now is helping to keep me sane.

**Edward POV**

The light returned to my vision and I was relieved to find that Jane wasn't avidly torturing me.

I cocked my head ever so slightly to the left to look around, and a wolf caught the movement, swinging his massive head to study me. I think it was Leah. She bared her teeth in a silent growl and turned away smugly.

Oh, how I despise her.

I let my head flop back down without much energy.

I missed Bella more than I could express and it was slowly killing me to be away from her. I still had unshakable faith that my family would come for me... but with most of the Volturi force _and _the werewolves against them, it didn't look like it was in their best interests to.

Just then, I felt a twinge in the back of my head, on the inside, then I smelt Bella for just a second – then it went away. I jerked automatically and looked behind me.

Nothing. Nobody was there and her smell was gone.

I lay back down quickly, so Jane wouldn't notice my alertness and try to stifle me again. Not only was it frustrating to be still, it was degrading to lie beneath _Leah._

As I held my position longer, the forces around me became more restless and hostile towards each other.

I tapped into Jane's thoughts carefully; like I was tiptoeing into her mind.

_...not like he's worth _that _much. How is Aro so sure that they'll come? If anything, he's better off gone. His mind reading must be so annoying and now that they're smaller they're less of a target. It is a waste though – he's so good looking... damn Bella. Aro was going to get him for me but then he met HER. She's definitely on my hit list..._

I tapped out then; concentrating on not leaping up and killing her.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

I grew impatient after a while and tentatively listened around. Most of them were sitting down, trying to avoid the other species.

I breathed in slowly. Now or never.

Opening my eyes just the slightest bit, I glanced around. It was like a scene from a badly written war movie.

The vampires – Aro, Caius, Marcus, Demetri, Felix, Jane, Alec, and a few other brawny guards I didn't recognise, were on one side of the clearing. Cocking my head slightly, I saw Sam, Paul, Leah, Quil, Embry and a few younger wolves arranged in a semicircle on the other side.

I froze. Embry and Quil were staring straight at me. I didn't know whether to close my eyes, or look away, or listen to them.

I didn't have to. They were practically screaming at me.

_Edward! Bro, you're finally awake! Listen- _began Embry loudly, and I flinched.

_Silence! _Hissed Sam imperiously, turning to glare first at me, then Embry.

_But the treaty! He needs to know, we owe- _started Quil.

_I said, be QUIET! _Snarled Sam – his voice thickened, layered with otherworldly command. _Stop thinking entirely if you need to._

Nothing happened. Quil was silent – because he was wondering why he wasn't being bound. Embry, glancing around, wondered quietly what was going on and Sam grew angry.

_Stop thinking! Bow! _He said. When did Sam become so aggressive? I never knew him to be so... imperious.

In response, Quil and Embry stood up at the same time, angry at being ordered around, and happy that they could do something about it. They didn't stop to question _why _they weren't being forced to their knees; they were just acting on it.

Quil started to growl and Sam heaved himself onto his feet, wary eyes in complete focus. The chattering on the vampire side of the clearing cut off abruptly as they noticed the silent exchange and started to pay attention.

_Don't you growl at me! I'm your Alpha. Your leader! Sit down! _He commanded roughly, in the tenor of commanding Alpha. Quil waited expectantly for the crushing force to stifle his rebellion, but it never came. He grinned wolfishly and took a step towards Sam, who, in response, butted forwards.

They had their toes touching and noses millimetres from each other. Staring. Sam was slightly taller, but as he was never the true Alpha, he had never grown much more than the others. Jacob had.

Embry sidled up unobtrusively beside Quil, staying back slightly but clearly taking the position of flanking Beta. Then he glared at Sam, too. The rest of the wolves watched in wary amazement.

_Don't be melodramatic, _snapped Sam. _What do you think he is? The new Alpha? You think that's why I don't rule anymore? _He paused.

_Could be, _said Embry evenly, and Quil's chest puffed up. _More likely Jake finally accepted his position and he's out there somewhere now, coming to take over. Good!_

_Nope! _Said Paul, instantly leaping forwards and assuming position as Sam's Beta. _Jake's... out of commission, _sniggered Paul, and Quil openly snarled at him.

Seth, one of the younger wolves, crossed over quietly and took Quil's left side, cocking his head at Sam.

_Jake would make a better leader. He has compassion, at least, and wouldn't desert his allies to help himself! _Seth put in heatedly.

So that's what happened! The Volturi must have challenged Sam's life in exchange for their help. No doubt they would just kill the wolves anyway afterwards – Sam wasn't being very smart. I wonder how the Volturi even found out about the pack?

_You know I care too much about Emily to leave her alone, _Sam said smoothly. That set Leah off.

_Hah! Lies! You're doing this for _you_! You don't care enough about anyone more than yourself; I can't even believe that you were _able _to imprint! Besides, Emily didn't imprint on you – she'd get over it, as humans do; it's not irrevocable to her. Either way, you're doing this to save yourself. If they were challenging Emily's life then you might have an excuse to give in because obviously, you can't live without your _fixation_, _Leah sneered, ranting.

_But they don't know about imprinting, _continued Seth angrily, leading off of his sister's steam as she took a place behind him. _In every aspect, you're doing this for yourself._

I watched in fascination, forgetting to keep down – but I doubt the vampires were altogether focussed on me anyway. As the dispute continued, I wondered why Sam lost his power. The only way I could think of was if a more rightful Alpha took the position, and there was nobody but Jacob to do that.

Wrong. Very, very wrong.

A wolf leaped graciously into the clearing, his smell had gone undetected among the already prominent stink of the rest of the wolves.

_Stop! _His gravelly, familiar voice rumbled out... thickened with Alpha.

They stopped. The Volturi gasped. Everyone turned, staring in awe at the huge golden wolf that was walking over to them, shaking out his fur.


	16. Chapter 16

**Finally I was able to get the story together without any loose ends... but I'm not going to explain everything in just one chapter, no. Of course I'm going to draw it out for as long as possible :D**

**Anyway, this chapter will be really short. And don't worry – it's not a "but it was all a dream" story. I HATE them – those stories are just what authors use when they're too lazy to be really creative and come up with something interesting that ties up the plot. This hopefully will satiate your thirst for weirdness. You may have to concentrate to pick it all up; I don't know how attentive you are to detail!**

**Anyway, enjoy and THINK.**

**Edward POV**

I couldn't take my eyes off the creature before me. I had never seen a golden wolf; let alone a wolf as huge as this one.

My eyes followed it in awe as he advanced on Sam with a disgusted expression – as disgusted as a wolf can make his face look, anyway.

Sam backed away – then something odd happened.

My vision blacked out for half a second then came back, then I seemed to shrink for a moment and return. I leaped up abruptly and clutched my head as voices started to yell around me. My surroundings blurred as I seemed to be standing still, and both Sam and Leah sort of melted away into the haze. Louder voices started to yell distantly; sounding as though I was in some sort of sphere and the voices were on the outside. The sphere started to spin slowly, then faster and faster, and I tipped and wobbled.

As things grew more confusing, I fell over and pressed my face in the cold grass, simply wishing nothing more than to be in a normal world with my beautiful angel Bella, and my family around me. I wanted to cry for what I had apparently lost – my mind and my senses as well as all that I loved.

Quite suddenly – but I welcomed it – everything blacked out.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

I floated in the blackness for a long time.

I savoured it. It was cool and ever so slightly humid. There was no wind, no rain, no sunlight. There was no controversy. There was no pack of angry Volturi members, holding me for some unknown reason. There was no pack of angry werewolves, fighting over who was leading.

The Sam controversy was annoying. Obviously that weird... gold thing... was leading, because he seemed to know what he was doing. Hopefully he'll kill Sam... and maybe Leah too. I've never liked her, and she's a complete bitch to my wife. Sam and Leah gone will be good. Maybe they'll get back together in Hell.

Wait, there's something too familiar about that... Sam. Leah. Dead? They ARE dead!

What is going on!? I remember! I remember when the Volturi attacked us, and broke that window, and Jane... Jane died but then she wasn't dead, and then it was Sam and Leah dead because Leah was going to kill someone... but then, then they were in the clearing a moment ago! And... and a big golden wolf who wasn't there when the wolves showed up and saved us all from that weird vampire who knocked Bella out and-

In the middle of that frenzied thought, a pinprick of light grew in front of me. In one instant it had spread into a stamp of light, then a window's worth, then my vision was entirely obscured by a brightness that had no identifiable colour or shape.

I rolled over from where I was laying, then froze in shock. I had a body again! I could feel my legs, and my muscles rolling, waiting to be used.

Squinting against the darkness, I leaped up – only to be met on the chest with a massive, familiar hand and a booming laugh, and pushed down again. The laugh faded as footsteps left the room after a hushing whisper. As reality attempted to resurrect itself in my head, memories faded and I felt blank. I couldn't remember the names or things I had been thinking about just before – they slipped away as I tried to pull them back.

Frustrating, to say the least. Frustrating.

Then, a voice spoke. I had an odd feeling that I had been waiting to hear the sound for an eternity, and it rang in my ears and dulled the pain behind my eyes from the light. Vision returned slowly as I calmed, listening to the peals of softened bells humming in my ears.

"...he was thinking something about Jane dying but then not being dead... and apparently Sam and Leah died and came back to life too, or something... and I got knocked out by a 'weird vampire!' I didn't know vampires could get knocked out!" The voiced stopped in teary confusion. "What's wrong with him? Why are his thoughts all jumbled, and insane?" wailed the bells, upset.

I didn't want the angel to be upset. I squinted my eyes as hard as I could, and then, miraculously, the swirly clouds of colour began to take shape. I cocked my head as I tried to make sense of the still-distorted image before me.

Then it clicked.

A stunningly gorgeous vampire with a scared, upset face was burying her face into another person's arm. Rage filled me as I saw the girl in the embrace of a taller, professional looking blonde vampire. The man was shushing her, consoling her as she cried.

I saw red. It wasn't my vision playing up again – it was unimaginable fury.

I flipped myself off the surface that I had been laying on, no longer caring about how I got there or what was wrong with me. All I knew was that somehow, for some strange reason, my very existence seemed to demand me to destroy the connection between those two vampires before me. A guttural, violent snarl tore itself out of my mouth, ravaging my throat in it's ripping. Shock flitted across their faces, but I had eyes only for the throat of the blonde.

And I went for it.


	17. Chapter 17

**Hi guys. Well, it's safe to say – not one of you will have seen this coming! Enjoy this chapter!**

**I'm sure many of you will think that it is a story wasted, but in my opinion – why read multiple stories that all end the same way? You'd all expect that so close to what appeared to be the conclusion, the remaining plot twists would be minor and there would be no indefinite execution of the validity of 75 of the previous chapters.**

**But you all know what I'm like. When have I ever made sense? D Also, to make it clear, in this chappy Edward is sort of reduced to his most basic instincts of survival and intelligence because of... well, I can't really explain it now. Everything will become clear, have patience!**

**Edward POV**

I sailed through the air in an elegant pounce as I shifted my weight to my now outstretched arms. They were so close to the blonde's throat... _so close... _I pictured the sound it would make as I struck him, my teeth slipping effortlessly through his skin... my instincts were functioning on a totally primal level.

Just in time, the angel grabbed the blonde and yanked him away. She lost her balance with a shriek as my fingers gouged the blonde's cheek, missing his eye by a hair's breadth, and I twisted with a roar as the blonde collapsed on top of her and they both fell over, with her trapped underneath him.

I howled furiously as a wall gave way behind my still-flying body and my vision of the blonde turning to help the grounded angel disappeared into a haze of plaster and a blood red glaze as my fury broke my limits.

I turned around, shrieking in feral rage, looking for an escape. My most basic instincts told me to run, but on a less primal level I had the urge to run back into the blonde and tear him to pieces, then take off with the beautiful angel... but yet more instincts, self-preservation, told me that there was danger here for me – and they also warned me that I didn't want to see the angel and the man in close contact.

My eyes sharpened as I spotted a newly reconstructed window, and I bolted towards it. My head snapped towards any signs of movement around me in the few seconds before I reached the window. Another scouting told me I was clear, so I kicked the window out tensely and slipped through silently, my ears ringing from the sound of the shattering and my teeth vibrating from the jar of the impact.

I ducked through the window and took off at a quick sprint, snapping my head around my shoulder in a paranoid way every few seconds to check for enemies. They could be anywhere, and the wood I was heading for was the only cover I could get – unfortunately, it was also covered in enemy scent.

I felt as though there was a point in the woods where I could go and the enemies could not follow. It felt somehow oppressive, as though some part of me knew I shouldn't leave this area of the wood, but I felt an overwhelming urge to escape. Something dear to me had been lost... I kept repeating it to myself, and I felt it was true... but I had no idea what I was talking about.

**Bella POV**

Carlisle rolled over with a groan as he touched the wounds on his cheek tentatively, then he turned to me and tried to help me up; gentleman that he is.

I glimpsed my husband's raw emotion blazing on his face as he disappeared through a now demolished wall, and I flinched slightly as I heard glass shattering and a low growl moments later, before everything echoed around the house with an eerie sense of finality.

All the while I stared at the ceiling in shock.

Edward. _My _Edward... he had woken up and the first thing he saw was his wife, and then his dad also... and what does he do? Attack.

He attacked me.

He _attacked _me!

What did I do wrong? What is it _now _that drives him away from me? After all we've been through together, and after that bone shattering fight where he was ripped from me... the last thing he saw was a wolf throwing me to the floor before his eyes closed... and still I was watching him, struck dumb, as the beast tore at my unresponsive body... I remembered how it gave up after a moment and left me, nearly unconscious as I stared at the place where Edward had been.

All that... what had he seen in me to provoke him to attack me?

I am lucky Carlisle was there as well, but I would have preferred being the one who got injured. After all... I must have done something terrible for Edward to react to me like that. His eyes met mine, then flicked to Carlisle, and suddenly he was _furious_...

What have I done?

**I know it's short, and makes probably around 5 sense right now, but I promise that once I get around to writing more (and it's the weekend now, so soon!) everything will become clearer. **

**Thanks for sticking by me, faithful readers; and I am finally back! This is quite a poor returning chapter after such a long absence, but it was the best I could do at 1:30AM after a long day at school and eating only sugar. I'm burning out as I type; I can tell!!**

**PLEEEEAAASE review... it will make a tired Aussie so happy D**


	18. Chapter 18

**Ok... I'm not sure yet exactly how much will be straightened out in this chapter, but I kinda want to draw it out a bit; and I've ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS wanted to get 200 reviews for one story... so the longer this lasts, the more reviews I will hopefully get! I won't let it get boring for y'all though :D**

**Some of you will be thinking things like: "What the Hell happened here? Did she miss like five chapters or something?!" To all the people thinking like this; I am pleased – I have succeeded in confusing you all and giving you lots of weird material to work with in your imaginations!**

**But hopefully nobody will have guessed what really happened – and even if you did, you won't find out for a while yet anyway! This chapter mainly just surreptitiously releases small amounts of the plot that will help you clever cookies to figure out exactly what has happened – but most of you, if not all, will still be completely in the dark!**

**Oh, and to wrap up this little seminar here, I left Pythagoras at school in my locker by accident, and now it's the weekend, so I won't have him back until Monday; which means this is the only chapter I'll be able to give you guys this weekend – which really annoys me because I am SO in the mood to write!! I guess I'll have to write something else...**

**Anyway, at long last, Chapter 18 of POF! **

**Edward POV**

I had escaped that house. I was running; and I didn't stop running. The confusion... the fire I felt was unimaginable! It was a foreign feeling – seeing the angel with the taller blonde man was just _so _painful... it seemed to set my ribs on fire and burn my lungs. I saw red, and I had to strike!

As I ran aimlessly in the forest, I vaguely began to feel a tingle in the base of my head. It spread quickly, and I felt different. My mind was slightly sharper, like a wave had crashed through my skull and washed away just a little of the dirt obscuring my thoughts. I could remember more literate words, I could see and hear less intensely but more universally, I could concentrate on one thing... and the thing I focussed on was running.

What spurred me to attack those two? Thinking back, with my semi-cleaned mind, I feel as though I'm now more aware of myself, and what I normally would have done... and just _thinking _this shows that I've become aware of the changes – I'm not who I was before.

Before what, though? What happened that I can't remember... and who was I before that?

**Carlisle POV**

Bella sat there, dumbstruck. She didn't speak, she didn't breathe. I watched her very carefully in case she blew her lid – a natural reaction to stress.

She stood up very, very slowly... her eyes were still far away. Probably blaming herself... somehow. I'm not sure how she would manage that; but if anyone could find away to hoist the blame to themselves in any situation, it's Bella. Or maybe Edward... they share that talent.

Bella was probably imagining that it was reaction to _her _that angered Edward... from my knowledge of my son, he was most likely objecting to the fact that I was holding Bella... in his questionable state; it probably just instinctively felt wrong to him... I could speculate forever on the possibilities.

Either way, in retrospect, it was probably a stupid action to take – hug his wife in front of him without knowing what extent of intellect he retained in that state.

I got to my feet at the same speed as Bella, still watching instinctively. My mind turned to questions... why had Edward reacted that way? After we picked him up from Arezzo, he had been unconscious. He also smelled a little strange; almost as though he had a foreign substance in his system – but I'm a doctor, and I've smelled all the drugs there are.

Nothing I can imagine explains his bizarre state... and we need to get him back either way. I have no idea what the best course of action would be in this situation... I have no idea why he did what he did; I have no idea what would help him... I have no idea what to do...

I have no idea what to DO!

**Again, very short. Carlisle is at the end of his stress tether and is beginning to lose control of his calm demeanor. GASP! What will happen next?**

**I BEG REVIEWS! It takes soo little effort... and EVERY SINGLE review is an absolute delight! I'd love to get 200 reviews on this story... just one click, a few words, then another click. 30 seconds of your day to cheer me up for the rest of mine!! You know you want to... C:**


	19. Chapter 19

**Well here is the next chappy! It was yet another short one, which I thought was unfair for the long wait I've done, but I just fell in love with the last line and I just HAD to end it there. I'm sorry! The next chapter won't be long. I've already started it, and it begins in the same way as this one.**

**THIS IS NOT THE LAST CHAPTER! The end of this chappy looks kinda conclusive; but I wouldn't end it here, with so many unsolved mysteries!! I'll keep writing if y'all keep reviewing.**

**Things should start to fall into place now, bit by bit. Not totally, though. Please, please, PLEASE, if I write anything that seems to contradict something I've already written about, review and tell me!! I'll reply and either tell you that it's part of the story and will be explained, or thank you for pointing out a mistake I didn't notice. It's all very useful to me, and I love you all! :D**

**Edward POV**

I was running.

I kept on running, not knowing where I was headed, until, after one of those inexplicable cleaning waves rattled through me, I got a distinct sense that I wasn't supposed to be where I was. I turned 40 degrees to the right, by some unbidden instinct, and sprinted that way instead, still feeling like I was in the wrong place.

I was about to stop my endless travel and have a sniff around when the feeling instantly ceased. I stopped and stepped back a few paces until I identified a line where I felt I should not cross. A boundary of some kind...?

I thought about it as I continued, and I ran for some time.

**Bella POV**

After a few minutes of bewilderment, I pulled myself together. The one conclusion that couldn't be argued with was that Edward was not himself at the present time, and we were really the only ones who could help him. Who knows what kind of danger he was to himself, and those around him, right now? I heard a mild thump beside me, and turned.

I looked at Carlisle, who had sat down on the floor suddenly. Apparently the battling in his mind about what to do next had won over him. I closed my mind to his thoughts, not wanting to intrude on his fretting.

He was still frozen where he had fallen. His eyes were moving though, his brow creasing and smoothing as his thoughts took him. I didn't invade to see what he was speculating... the usually stoic Carlisle, my father and friend, looked like he was having trouble coping.

I didn't blame him.

His hands were starting to clench and I could smell his sense of helplessness, so I swept forward and brushed his shoulder with my hand, smiling. His eyes flicked up to me, then he exhaled heavily. I squatted next to him.

"This is kinda a new situation, huh?" I said, half drily and half reassuringly.

He rolled his eyes and got up slowly. I was half surprised when he stood taller than me; it felt as though I was the carer for just a moment, so it felt odd when he regained his authority somewhat.

"What do you propose we do?" he asked carefully, still with traces of hysteria in his eyes.

I had never seen him freak out this much, and it was starting to scare me, but I knew that we'd never take action unless _someone _remained calm, and I was one of the only ones who had a chance, especially after everyone saw Carlisle in this state. Shoulders drooped, eyes cast with shadow, hair a mess... so different from the professional person he usually was.

"We have to give chase," I said calmly. "It sounds obvious and kinda cliché, but really, what else _is _there to do?" I paused, and a horrible thought struck me. "I only hope he has, at least, the sense to stay away from the wolves' territory," I added with horror.

His eyes lit up with awareness. I guessed that with something to do, something to concentrate on and work on, he felt much more secure. I tried to keep it that way until the matter was resolved – after all, it's not fair to always count on Carlisle in every disaster. Everyone needs a break sometimes.

"Okay," mused Carlisle as we walked out the hole that used to be a wall and door. Everyone was already assembled, having obviously heard the commotion. It had seemed huge at the time, but for them was probably only a slight disturbance.

I could see they'd put together the situation fairly well. I let their thoughts seep into my mind, too immortally drowsy to manually check if they knew what was going on. They stared at us, eyes wide and holding each other.

Flashes of '_-re did he go' _and _'-nder where he's heading... what was wrong with him?' _coursed through my mind; everyone's thoughts on the same page.

"What was wrong with him?" asked Emmett quietly.

You can always count on Emmett to say what he thinks. EXACTLY what he thinks.

"Not a clue..." I murmured tiredly. It was completely unreasonable for me to feel tired, but I wished that I could sleep... curling up and fleeing to a place where problems didn't matter and nobody wanted me to lead them; a place where everything was warm and nothing could hurt you.


	20. Chapter 20

**New chappy yay!**

**Now I am writing this at my own expense because I have an exam tomorrow and I need to study for it. So the least you can all do is review. :D**

**Now, the chapters are short right now because I am working it out bit by bit and it takes concentration. Enjoy, I hope!**

**Jasper POV**

Bella was leading us expertly through the woods.

We ran faster than was usually necessary, our muscles, which were unaccustomed to actually putting effort into running, were complaining.

"Can't we slow down?" grumbled Alice. "I can't see where we're going anyway... we could run right into danger, going this fast!"

"Exactly!" snapped Bella. "He's in the wolf territory, Alice! In the state he seems to be in, what do you think his reaction will be to random wolves he probably has no recollection of jump out and start attacking him?!" shrieked Bella a little hysterically. I tried to calm her down a bit, and then flinched as she screamed at me in my head.

It echoed... it really hurt. Man, Bella's one angry little vampire when Edward goes missing!

**Edward POV**

I still felt as though I was in a place I wasn't supposed to be, even though I could see no evident danger and nothing had come to get me.

Walking around slowly, I suddenly realised I had given very little thought as to why I had fled. There was still a niggling itch in my head, but it was lessening with every wave of cold I was experiencing. I felt sick to my stomach, and, not for the first time, I wished I could sleep it off.

Wait... not for the first time?

Those words had leaped unbidden into my mind, but I guess I've had these thoughts before. Sleeping is a luxury I miss more than most things.

I feel like there is something else I miss as well...

My dilapidated shoes froze in their tracks as I watched them, without me really making much effort. They turned my body around to face almost the way I had come, but a little to the left. The greenery around my legs and above my head lost colour slightly as I narrowed my eyes and widened my nose.

I could smell something very, very sweet. (**I considered, at this point, leaving it there and having you guys wonder whether or not it was a human he could smell, but then I decided you guys have had too many obscenely short chapters for a while, and I tried to make this one more worthwhile!)**

I angled forwards and ran to it. It was an incredibly soft, unobtrusive smell. Floral, flowery, and it was backed up by the scent of actual flowers. Both scents came from the same place, and I ran to it.

As I got closer I identified a smell with it that normally I would not have noticed, but it was infused with the flowery smells... I could tell that it was something I was used to smelling, every minute of every hour of every day....

It was me.

My smell. Mixed with the somehow familiar flowers that I could trace, the scent that was so alive and sweet and intoxicating... it filled my head and made my eyelids droop, and I wondered how I could possibly have smelled this before and not be able to precisely recall exactly where and when.

The scents became stronger and more whole with every step, and my thoughts sped up with my legs, and with what I imagine my heartbeat would have sounded like....

Then I was there. It wasn't what I expected; a flowering bush maybe, or some blossoming grass.

It was a meadow. It was unimaginably beautiful... the bold, green grass trembled infinitesimally in the nearly nonexistent breeze... the miniature flowers showed off their colours; so small but so strong in smell and fitting in body. The meadow was framed by trees that shaped around the grass so perfectly it appeared as if an artist of old had laboured over the design that would be most pleasing to the eye, and painted it in with the colours of the clouds and Heaven and the sea.

My mind revelled in the magical place, and I felt distinctly un-masculine as my feet carried me into the centre of the meadow, and my mind continued to draw up soppy analogies... but it was perfect. It was right. Except for one thing.

Something was missing. The source of the flower smell was here, the source of _my _smell was here, but the source of the vibrant floral scent, so unique yet so homely, was missing. It seemed to dull the colour of the place and my spirits plummeted as I lamented the incomplete paradise. I wished I could remember when it had been whole, but it eluded me as surely as the sun eludes the night.

But the night is good; supplemented my mind. A long-lost memory jumped to mind – _without the night, we'd never see the stars.... _I remembered gazing with amused wonder into the colour that I loved. Chocolate brown.

The memory replayed in my vision in acute detail, but out of the blue, a friendly cannonball rocketed into me, and I was knocked into the waving grass.

The tangy smell of love filled my nose as I looked down into a face that slowly turned up to meet mine. A pair of golden orbs that held the memory of chocolate brown stared up at me, and the forest hummed as I was filled with recognition.

My eyes closed as I hugged the source of the final scent to my chest.

Memory returned. I knew where and who I was. The final wave broke, crashing and echoing in my head as the haze lifted and my mind cleared. The numbing weight broke away and I was free.

I was free, and I wasn't alone. As the noise faded, my thoughts sang one sentence that I vowed never to forget again.

Bella. My Bella.


	21. Chapter 21

**Okay people, before you read; please make a mental note to ask about anything you don't get; and I'll let you know if it's something you've missed; something I've missed; or something that is just yet to be explained. It will really help me; I didn't expect the plot to become so incredibly and almost unworkably twisted!!**

**I really hope you enjoy the chappy; and please don't forget to review! I made this one longer than usual because I hate giving you all such small chapters; although it may make it seem like everything is happening more quickly than usual.**

**Enough rambling - R&R, that's all I ask! It's the least you can do. :D**

**Edward POV**

I was still in a state of shock.

After abruptly and instantaneously regaining all my memory of my family and events of the past weeks, my head was reeling and I wasn't sure precisely where I was and why... even what day it was.

"Tuesday," provided Bella absentmindedly.

Oh yeah. I was also extremely ticked off. Not only did Bella share my talent; but she was triply powerful and _could see into MY mind! _I mean; I wouldn't _really _care too much that she was stronger than I, but she can read my thoughts and I can't read hers! Fair? I think not.

"Well Edward, _to_ be fair; we went through the first years of our relationship with _you _being stronger, more powerful, more in charge, more stunning, more in control, more knowledgeable-" Bella began, but I interrupted.

"Okay I get it," I cut in quickly; but after she shot me a disparaging look; she continued without much pause in my mind. Yep; MINE. I wasn't listening; but I was hearing. And it's exclusive. I really hate not being able to control it!

_Come on, Edward. You've always been better than me at anything and everything; and now I have one small advantage over you. Does it really matter? After what we've been through recently, does this small issue REALLY MATTER? _Bella went on.

I could tell that my attitude was beginning to annoy her, but at that point I was just suffering from a bruised ego, and continued to grumble anyway.

_You'll have it for eternity. I only had mine for a little while, _I thought childishly.

She rolled her eyes. _Edward, you're still better than me at everything except this! Get over it, for the sake of my sanity!_

I briefly considered continuing the argument, just so she wasn't enjoying her gift, but that thought seemed to wake me up. I mentally slapped myself for even thinking about trying to pain my angel... it just reminded me even more of the time apart....

I felt cold suddenly. Without a word; I reached over and hugged Bella into my side with both arms; holding her tight, as though she would stand up and walk away from me if I didn't stop her. She didn't object; and seemed to understand... I tried to ignore the fact that she _would_ understand because she could hear me.

_I'll try to block you, _she whispered sadly. I just nodded, sighing. My frustration wasn't going to go away, but I'll be damned if Bella does.

Carlisle returned to the room then, and I sighed once more. No doubt the inevitable discussion of recent events would start now. I sort of knew it was coming since I 'woke up,' I guess, but I was trying to ignore its approach and just enjoy being back.

Even if the fact that I was 'back' made little sense at all.

"Okay, Edward," he said. "I only want to talk about what's transpired over the past few months, but I'm sure you will have lots of questions for us too," he prompted. I cocked my head.

"No. I know what's been going on for the past few months..." I said in confusion. "All that I'm confused about is that I was here with you all a few days ago, then suddenly I was asleep, then I woke up in here but I had no idea where or who I was, then I attacked someone, then I ran through a window and got lost in a forest I know perfectly well. In other words, it seems like I was drugged for a day or so."

At the conclusion of my speech, the whole family was staring at me.

Silence. I was frowning as I tried to discern exactly what had confused them about my synopsis, and Bella looked confused and upset. She made a frustrated noise in her throat as she looked to Carlisle.

After more silence, Jasper quietly noted, "Looks like we have more to talk about than we thought."

They all just nodded. It was infuriating!

Inside, I was seething with anger at how they all seemed to be an entity, and I was the invading cell. The outsider; the new guy... I had no idea what they were on about, or why I was supposedly wrong.

Carlisle started to speak, but Bella shushed him and continued to look at me, eyes narrowed in concentration.

_Close your eyes and try to remember... there's something off about your memories. _Before I could protest angrily about her looking in my head, she continued. _I wasn't trying to see! But... you taste different. When I feel your presence in my head, you taste wrong... sour. I can't tell what it is._

She blinked once, and I was lost in her eyes. The streaks of detail in her stunning, glittering golden irises mesmerised me, and I followed her prompting as she whispered in my head.

_Close your eyes, and try to remember...._

Remember.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

I opened my eyes a few minutes later and my family all still had their eyes locked on me. I turned my head to each one of them. Rose, Emmett, Jasper, Alice, Esme, Carlisle... and ever faithful and ever loving Bella...

"I don't understand," I muttered; the red hot anger simmering under my skin. It was unbelievably frustrating not being able to understand; especially for me. I am used to having a heightened understanding of everyone's decisions and actions, but everyone's thoughts were right now being annoyingly focussed on my anger. Nobody was being helpful by _thinking _exactly what was wrong with me.

"What do you remember?" asked Bella.

"Everything!" I snarled, my annoyance peaking. It's one thing to be confused; it's another thing to be utterly frustrated and have no way of getting help! Every time I started to ask what the big deal was, Bella said something in my head, or I'd suddenly remember something, or someone would make a comment or _think_ something that caught my interest. It was just so annoying! "I remember the fight, and you getting knocked out, Bella, and Leah and Sam, and getting my ass kicked by a Volturi ambush, and all the wolves being on their side because of a threat made to Sam or somethi-"

Oops.

I think I just got it.

Smiles dawned on their faces as they realised I had noticed something amiss.

My mouth worked back and forth as I tried to grasp it. Leah and Sam _gone_ during the fight... Leah and Sam present during my abduction thing... I couldn't make sense of it.

"Leah and Sam," I prompted Carlisle.

He smiled at my understanding, then his brow crinkled up as his eyes saddened... two lives lost must be upsetting for him; no matter what one of them might have been trying to do.

Or, whatever – I don't trust my memories enough to assume that Leah was trying to kill Sam... that's what I remember but my brain hasn't been serving me too well of late.

Carlisle began to speak, and the room settled into a quiet that you can tell precedes a long story...

"Let's go back to the start, before you were taken."


	22. Chapter 22

**Oh man, guys, I promise, I have a perfectly good reason for my absence – er, I discovered Torchwood. Maybe I don't seem like an uber sci-fi junkie, BUT OH MY GOD TORCHWOOD IS GOOD! I have been feverishly writing about it for my friend; we started our own stories where we and our other friend got turned into vampires (Twilight style) then we go visit the Cardiff base; Torchwood Three. They're so much fun, and I've already done seventeen chapters... sorry for neglecting things here! A very long chapter (by my standards) to make up for it.**

**I think I'm a bit over Twilight fics now. I won't be publishing the Torchwood fic I've been doing, because it involves real people I've put into the story, and it's all just for fun, but I think I'll move on to Dr Who and Torchwood type fics after this one is over. If you haven't seen Torchwood (don't bother with Dr Who if you're not into it; but I would recommend Torchwood to anyone who likes any of the following: humour, aliens, technology, sex, gruesome-ness, conflict, angst, science, Dr Who, or [hopefully] all of the above!) then don't bother with the fics because it's the kind of series that makes zero sense unless you've seen an episode or ten.**

**Thanks to Catty for one of the lines towards the end. The anti-climactic one.**

**Anyway, enough of this. I hope you enjoy this – I'm a bit rusty with the Twilight fics! Don't get too angry if I am crappy this chappy. It is indeed the very last chapter, so please don't be mad at me! I have tried to tie up all the loose ends, but if there was anything you still want answered, review and ask me!**

**Anyway, enjoy your obscenely long final chapter!**

**Edward POV**

I listened with bated breath (not that it had any affect) as Carlisle spun a web of what sounded suspiciously like lies.

Primarily, apparently that big buff vampire who I clearly remember battling Bella, actually knocked me out and ran for the bloody hills!

What a coward.

Anyway, that's just preposterous, because I wouldn't have been so easily beaten by someone who's mind and future moves could be read straight from his head.

_Unless he had a power of his own_, muttered Bella in my head.

_Hey!_

_Sorry! I can't help it – it's not like you're a quiet thinker..._

_Oh, whatever._

"He didn't block me, though, I'm sure of it," I said out loud. "I would have remembered if someone had an ability so much like Bella's." At least, I hope so.

"Brute strength?" suggested Jasper wryly.

"No," muttered Emmett irritably. "He just had a power, that's all."

"A little jealous of someone being so much more _buff _than you, Emmett?" gasped Alice in mock amazement.

"Shut up!" he growled, shoving her, then Jasper all but tore his head off, and they had a little scuffle over in their corner.

_And then Jasper went all anime and grew mushrooms in his dark little corner, _thought Rosalie dimly; thoughts still centred around cheap Japanese animation, lipstick, and sex.

"_Any_way..." I said dryly.

"Well, after they took off with you, we got a message from Aro."

"Oh yes?"

"Yes... erm, apparently he was thanking us for being so permeable..."

Bella growled at the next part.

"... and offered to exchange you for Bella and Alice."

"After all, we're much more special than you," said Alice happily. She seemed to hold the opinion that since it was over, it didn't really matter anymore. I disagreed; still diligently attempting to find out exactly what had transpired while I was... wherever I was, doing whatever it is I was doing. Yeah, I had to find that out too.

"Exactly what was I doing for the past.... um-"

"Few weeks?" supplied Bella.

"Yeah, something like that."

"Bloody peaceful, it was, except for Bella's little rages."

"Yeah, but it was funny that time when-"

"Shut up!" I called out in irritation. "Doesn't anyone care that I have no recollection of anything that has happened to me, or apparently anything that's happened to any of you, for the past while? I'm trying to find out what I've missed. And how. So can you all start caring, _please_!?"

A short pause.

"Of course, dear, we'll-" began Esme.

"Nobody cares!" called out Emmett.

After Emmett was removed, and everyone else got bored (their tender, loving care and support overwhelmed me) I was left with Carlisle and Bella.

"So, please just start from the start, Edward," said Carlisle. "Brief synopsis – what did you see? What do you remember? And also, what point of view was it from? You've made it sound like you were just watching events from afar..."

"Not for all of it," I said slowly, thinking back. "I remember being held hostage in a field or something... and the Volturi were there as well as the wolves, and everyone was annoyed... maybe. Or they might have been really happy. I'm not sure, it's a little fuzzy."

"Well, maybe just begin from the fight," said Bella. "No big details, just what you remember. We have a theory, see."

"Pray tell."

"After you," she said infuriatingly. I rolled my eyes, something I'd been doing increasingly today, and started dully.

"Ok, we fought with them, can't remember why, you were knocked out, they yelled a bit, you got away, we killed them all because the wolves showed up and helped, Jane was dead... oh, but then she wasn't... or some shit... what the hell is _that_ doing in there... anyway, she jumped out a window then-" I stopped. "You know what, this is a little weird; wanna tell me what the hell actually happened yet?"

"Maybe that's when they gave it to him," suggested Carlisle to Bella musingly.

"Yeah, that would explain the bizarre memory he has at that point," she agreed. As always, I sat there with tight lips as their thoughts betrayed nothing.

They weren't shielding; they were just thinking really unhelpful things. Quite by accident, apparently. My eyes narrowed further and I let out an exaggerated sigh as they continued to speculate.

"Oh, forgive me," said Carlisle, appearing to notice me. Why thank you, father.

"Do go on."

"Okay. So, then she jumped out a window, and then I heard that Leah wanted to kill Sam, then she tried, then they both died or something... huh, that sucks... anyway, then the wolves took them both away, then it really stank, then..." I squinted at the memory, trying to see it better. Kinda stupid, really. "That's pretty much when it gets weird. I was seeing myself get abducted... after going out for a hunt... alone... after the Volturi came.... jeez, that was dumb." I gave myself a little slap. "_Bad _Edward."

"Okay," interrupted Bella smoothly. "I've got to say, you're acting a little weird. A little too... carefree. And a little more normal than usual. It's really weird; can you stop it?"

"Okay, I'll get right onto that," I said sarcastically.

"That's more like it," smiled Carlisle.

"Okay, so then I just remember some kind of warped hostage scene, and then the world became a little ball, then I was in a room, then-" I stopped mid-sentence and my eyes became hostile. "And then I attacked _you_," I jabbed a finger at Carlisle. "Because you were hugging my Bella."

I narrowed my eyes.

"Okay, Edward, what's been and done is been and done, et cetera, so can we get back on to this?"

"That's all I remember," I said hostilely, still eyeing my adoptive father suspiciously.

"Relax, Edward," he sighed. "Bella, I think I have got enough information."

"Okay, give it to me straight, doc," I said dramatically, bouncing on the sofa.

He gave me a funny look.

"Symptom one, mild to semi-severe personality alterations. These can range from mood swings, dietary changes – luckily not in this case – or odd cravings, loyalty alteration, temporary short and long term memory loss, among other things."

He straightened his papers in that 'doctor' way that doesn't really reassure the patient – just makes them feel like they're being scrutinised. Which they are.

"Symptom two, warped memories and long periods of unconsciousness."

Bella was nodding along like she knew exactly what was going on. I was getting annoyed with the pair of them, with their whole 'yes, I understand, yes, I know what's happening' attitude. I tuned out of their thoughts, waiting for the verdict.

"About 20% of cases also leave the 'victim,' if you will, with severe speech impediments. Luckily, it hasn't affected you in this way."

"Okay, so what is 'it,'?" I asked.

"Prolonged drugging," said Carlisle bluntly. I stared.

"What?"

"And not just any drug," continued Carlisle mildly, as though he hadn't heard me. Stupid doctors and their medical speeches. "It's a human drug that causes medically induced comas. See, sometimes it has the supposed side-effect of giving odd psychic visions to the patients."

"You're kidding, right?" I said dumbly. "I've been a _science experiment_? And doesn't that psychic vision thing sound a little 'fantasy' to you?"

"I don't mean they just become psychic or something," he 'explained'. "They might have intense premonitions, or strange dreams that end up linking to something that happens to them later on."

"Like that JFK thing," said Bella.

"What?"

"Reportedly, John F Kennedy had a dream one night that he was walking around the White House at night, and he could hear crying. He walked around all the corridors and checked all the rooms, trying to find the source. Eventually he walked into his own office and found a group of people weeping over a corpse covered in a white sheet. He asked, 'what's going on here? Why is everyone crying? Who is that man?' and he was answered by a sobbing paperboy. 'It's the president. Somebody's killed the president!' JFK woke abruptly at that, sweating. In the morning he told his wife of the troubling dream, and she wrote it in her journal. Later that very same day, JFK was assassinated."

I was speechless. Quite apart from being to do with Carlisle's diagnosis, it was just a creepy story in general.

"You're a good storyteller," I told Bella nervously. She smiled, and Carlisle continued.

"People have premonition visions like, ah... like that," he said. "The Volturi thought that it would be interesting to find out what the people would turn out like as vampires; the ones who reported this side-effect. Turns out that all the people who were telling the truth actually had some dormant abilities, and upon becoming vampires were graced with rare psychic abilities. Like Alice, only much less prominent while they were human."

"What has all this got to do with me?" I asked slowly.

"Well, they thought it would be interesting to adapt the drug for vampires, to see if it had any interesting affects on powerful vampires. If it awakened such things in humans, who knows what it would do to an already mentally gifted vampire?"

"Like me," I muttered.

"Exactly. To be honest, you were just unlucky. They would have settled for Alice or maybe even Jasper, but they got you instead. They very nearly got Jasper, but Bella saved him, then saved herself, but then you got caught. I don't think you remember that part."

"So... just tell me what went on really while I was away? Keep talking."

"Okay, you were taken away, and we got that message, right? Well, turns out that the drug was pretty botched. It _did _enhance your ability, but your mind just went out towards those you were most linked to and could hear best – your family. Our emotions and things that went on influenced your visions, and your own dormant feelings while you were in that state also influenced what you saw for your time under. Basically, it was like a monumental mood ring."

I'd been following him up to that point, but I lost him there.

"What?"

"You know those rings that humans like... your body heat changes the colour of the ring. Well, our emotions and thoughts, as well as yours, changed the colour, or I guess the plot, storyline, of your visions. Aro, upon discovering what it did, thought at first that it would be a great way to spy on us, so he would always know what you were doing, but when he touched your mind and saw all the conflicting facts in your dreams, like people being alive as well as dead, and himself being in odd places, he knew it would never work. So, he tried to make some good from the situation by pretending he would give you up for Alice and Bella. He knew we would never agree, but he tried anyway. He had no use for you."

"What was he expecting to happen to me?"

"No idea. But he was hopeful. With your talent, who knows how it might have boosted you? If you were a coven vampire, not a family vampire, it might have had more of an effect on you because you wouldn't be so receptive to feelings."

"So... how come I could see myself with the Volturi? What spawned the dreams?"

"Your mind sensed that we were thinking of the Volturi and you, in a negative aspect, with the wolves involved, and with us trying to find you. Your mind was evidently confused, so it tried to produce a feasible excuse for the tumult of information it was receiving. Also, some part of you probably subconsciously knew where you were and reacted accordingly."

"Why didn't I realise that Sam and Leah were gone? _Are _they even gone? How did they give me the drug in the first place? How did I get back here? Why-"

"Wait, slow down!" he sighed, rubbing his forehead. I felt the same way. "Okay, Sam and Leah are gone... you wouldn't have known, because your subconscious doesn't exactly listen – it feels. It felt our sorrow for their deaths, but it couldn't process situations. It didn't know, for example, what was happening and why. It just got information, processed it, and tried to make sense of it's odd predicament by creating scenarios that it thought were really happening... Edward, the mind is a difficult thing to explain, can we continue?"

I nodded, not really understanding any of it anyway. Bella was hanging onto every word with ease of understanding. Yet another annoyance.

Carlisle's story made everything around me seem unreal, like I was still dreaming. I unconsciously started touching things around me to ascertain their reality.

_You'd know if you were dreaming,_ Bella said.

_I didn't before. Why should I now? I could be dreaming you right now!_

_You think my kisses earlier were dreamed up?_

_I always told you that if I could dream, it would be about you._

She rolled her eyes, but grinned.

"They were able to administer the drug by cutting your skin with a werewolf tooth – one of the only things that can cut into vampire flesh – and injecting the drug through the wound. It circulated your body as any drug would. As for how you got back here, well... Aro, for some reason, didn't seem to have the heart to kill you."

That came as a surprise.

"Alice just got a vision suddenly of you being dumped near the meadow... they had stopped blocking her; as they had been while you were there, and since she couldn't search for a trap because they would have blocked one if there was one, she had to search for everything _except _a trap. Searching for a blind spot. Searching for the one thing that she wouldn't be able to see. Of course, it was risky; because there was no guarantee that she would even find any blind spots that were there, but we decided just to proceed with caution and go and get you. Of course, the wolves weren't going to help; because they – and rightly so – blame us for the whole affair."

"So I take it you found me alright?"

"Yes – and that explains your vision of a standoff in a grassy area – the end of the scene, and then the warping at the end was the drug starting to wear off. You woke up... er, attacked me, and left. Then we found you. End story."

I took a few minutes to process this, and then looked up again. Carlisle was studiously shuffling through his notes.

"Okay... well, that feels weird. Having everything explained, and having no questions..."

"You have no questions?" asked Carlisle in surprise.

"Well, while you were talking, I had a million of them, but now my mind feels kind of blank. I don't really have anything else to say... can I go now, then?"

"Well, looks like the symptoms are wearing off... you seem to be back to normal. You can go." He smiled.

"Well, that was anti-climactic," remarked Bella, and I froze as I heard the responding remark before everyone else (save Bella) heard it.

"You'll have to get used to that if you're with him!" called out Emmett from the stairs, laughing and running off.

"Oh I am so going to kill him," I snarled, taking off instantly.

As I ran upstairs, giving chase, I heard the remarks back in the lounge room.

"Huh...." said Bella.

"Looks like things are back to normal now, hmm?" said Carlisle.

I could picture Bella's gorgeous smile.

"At long last," she said softly, and even as I tore into Emmett's face with my fists, I felt a smile bloom on my face.


End file.
